Ode to election day

To the back of the line
why don't they put D-K with S-Z?
A special line for young mothers with babies;
Divide the Republicans From the Democrats?
I wonder aloud, and an appreciative murmur
radiates; another example of civil insolence.

The family in front of me;
probably homeschoolers. My guess is
Ron Paul. The man behind me is friendly
and softspoken; Romney for sure.
The man with the book comes by
and says I'm unaffiliated.
Unafilliated? I ask.
Yes. It says right here.
Well all right then.

First Woman, or first African American?
the crowd around me murmurs, first Mormon.
I smile as if I agree. We inch forward, and
I thank God that He has the toddler,
not me. A woman becomes chatty;
how much did your baby weigh? My gosh,
that must have been awful...

The octogenarian in front of me;
this must be awful for you dear.
Not too awful, I say. I could have had
the toddler. Her husband moves a chair in
front for my carrier, and slides it along
as the line moves. Good Samaritans about in this crowd.

The woman at the book squints at me, tells me D33,
Bright eyes watch as I slide my card and punch
my keys. A thrill travels through me at this
historic event; First African American. I slide
on the iced-over pavement; only twenty cars left
in the parking lot.

Back in the poop covered intrepid,
a sold five minutes of buckling.
It's time to pick up the missing pieces.
I find them in the courthouse lobby;
Worn thin, full of granola bars and fruit punch.
And Finding Nemo.

At home, it's a picture,
then papa murphy's, a late bedtime, and NPR...
He is sad and a little frustrated. In bed
it's quiet talking for longer than we should
and soft laughter. And congenial disagreement.
He'll write him in; I say I won't vote for someone
who's no longer running. The pillows are warm,
the baby asleep, the girls upstairs. Ron
and Barack are off partying, doing their civic duty
in champaigne and SuperDelegates.
We fall peacefully asleep, hoping we did ours.