An Ode

to the Democratic Party

The wonderful mary g. writes a substack called What Now? Each week she gives a prompt with lovely thoughts, background, and explanations and those of us that care to write. Prompts are such a wonderful way to write when you don’t know what to write about or you do know what to write about but the words won’t come.

This week, since Wednesday, my mantra has been “Don’t give into despair. Refuse to be numb, refuse to be depressed.” Still the few words I’ve written have been gobbledy gook. So today, in planning for some writing with my writing group, I decided to do mary’s prompt for this past Monday.

What is an ode, you are asking. Mary’s definition is: “a lyric poem in the form of an address to a particular subject, often elevated in style or manner and written in varied or irregular meter.”

So here is my ode, unedited, but the best thing I’ve been able to express since waking up Wednesday morning. Of course, it’s not really an Ode. Nothing is elevated.

An Ode to the Democratic Party

America has spoken. It was not even close.

The people voted, they walked to booths, and they sent in ballots. 

They said they don’t care if a president is a felon.

They said they don’t care if a president has been impeached

They said they don’t care if a president spreads hatred and violence.

They said they don’t want a woman as president

They said they’ve had it with the Democrats

They said they love the orange man

Dear Democratic Party

Don’t point fingers, don’t turn on each other looking to blame

I love you 

I love what you stand for

But clearly we are out of step.

From here in France, it was a great campaign

But you assumed the average American cares about democracy,

understands the stakes

For the average American WWII was in the Middle Ages

Fascism is just a word with no meaning.

America has voted

The people are very clear what they want

It’s not what you want

It’s not what I want

I no longer recognise the country I was born in

I don’t belong

This is not a blip, something to be corrected if you just find the right cardidate.

Open your eyes, dear Democratic Party

Unblock your ears

Don’t point fingers at each other

Take inventory. Accept that this is America

Until you accept, you won’t know what to do next

You’ll do the same old, same old.

Be patient, accept and wait

Mistakes will be made

Be patient and pull together

Wait for the cracks

Be patient but attentive

Caligula brought down a Roman era

Wishing to be a god did not make him so.

Our Caligula will fly too close to the sun

Maybe not in my lifetime

                  Maybe not in yours

Be patient but be prepared.

A bientôt,

Sara