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Voting Advice

When we vote in each election,
few with brains will ever run.
So, when we make our selection,
we elect a simpleton.

When a massive problem’s brewing
that can tear apart the state,
since they don’t know what they’re doing,
they will always obfuscate.

They’ll create a new Commission
that will study things to death,
staffed by those whose prime ambition
is to talk till out of breath.

It must represent each gender
which is difficult because,
each idea recommender
can change what their gender was.

When done speaking, they’ll start writing
and create a thick report
that’s completely unexciting
and meant only to distort.

Then they’ll hold a public hearing
where they each pat their own back,
smiling broadly while premiering
some new problem they’ll attack.

When we see we’ve been distracted
by their skillful sleight of hand,
then we’ll learn how we’re impacted
by the lowlifes in command.

Shun all lifelong politicians,
and reject the mainstream news.
Pay close heed to your suspicions
when deciding who to choose.

.

.

Warren Bonham is a private equity investor who lives in Southlake, Texas.

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15 Responses

  2. Gigi Ryan

    “and create a thick report
    that’s completely unexciting
    and meant only to distort.”

    The above is my favorite part of your poem. Much may be taken from us, but a sense of humor we can retain. Thank you for this pairing of humor and excellent writing of exciting, undistorted verse!
    Gigi

    Reply
    • Warren Bonham

      It’s slim pickings every election cycle. Hopefully we get enough of the good guys elected today!

      Reply
    • Warren Bonham

      I’ll be voting and praying today. Maybe we’ll even find out the outcome tonight?

      Reply
    • Warren Bonham

      I had fun with that verse but I agree that it’s infuriating that it’s something that we can/must satirize.

      Reply
  5. Margaret Coats

    With you, Warren, I second the advice to “vote and pray.” You are rather hard on candidates, but at the local level, at least, we have some who are not lifelong politicians. And in the last few elections, we have been most fortunate that one United States presidential candidate is not. During past weeks and months, we’ve seen him work far harder at campaigning than any politician, which is probably why we’re seeing record voter turnout today.

    But concerning your term “lowlifes in command,” I have to say I wondered about persons doing all the work in my voting center. Not so long ago, they were my neighbors. In 2020 and today, they were individuals I had never seen. I asked one how he got the position. Turns out they are not even from my town, but were hired from an urban center 50 miles away. While I am happy for anyone who needs it to get a paying job, even temporarily, these persons are clearly under the command of an elected official who hired them off the street. They are not trusted community volunteers. Friends of mine have been rejected as volunteers. And there are no pollwatchers from both parties to observe the proceedings and report anything suspicious–because “there is no need.” There are my suspicions.

    In making decisions, one decides WHOM to choose. The word needs to be in the objective case because it is the object of the verb. Hope that point of grammar isn’t lost upon you.

    Thanks for the otherwise correct reflection and advice!

    Reply
    • Warren Bonham

      Thanks as always for the thoughtful comments. I second your appreciation for the people working thanklessly behind the scenes. I do have an automatic distrust of those who seem to have a need to continually run for office – term limits would help me sleep a little more soundly. Also, as you rightly point out, my grammar still needs some work. I need to be more vigilant on that front. I hope you had an enjoyable evening last night!

      Reply
  6. Mike Bryant

    Warren, you are getting better and better. This poem gives great advice in the voice of the people. It’s way past time for term limits… but how long would it take for the rascals to get around them?

    Texas is a whole nother country where every resident has been informally granted special dispensations for grammatical sins… even the mortal ones!

    A smile:

    Knock Knock.
    Who’s there?
    To.
    To who?
    To WHOM!

    Reply
    • Warren Bonham

      Thanks! Texas is indeed a special country and I’m glad to be here for many reasons (grammatical and otherwise). Great Knock-Knock joke that is certain to help me get things right in the future.

      Reply
  7. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    Great poetic advice, Warren – the best way to deliver the truth!

    Reply
    • Warren Bonham

      I couldn’t agree more. I hope you were pleased by the outcome of the day.

      Reply
      • Susan Jarvis Bryant

        I am pleased, Warren. I hope and pray Trump will steer us away from the complete annihilation of the home I have come to love which is where we are heading with Biden at the helm. The trouble is, I have lost faith in ALL politicians, and the worship of Elon Musk bothers me greatly. He doesn’t stand for free speech (many honest folks have been cancelled on X) and the only reason he is one of the richest men in the world is his reliance on billions of dollars in government funding – much of which he received during the pandemic while small businesses were going broke. Is he really the voice of the people? Musk has expressed concern about climate change, calling it “the biggest threat that humanity faces this century” – Tesla and SolarCity are government funded companies who support climate action. Trump lauds and applauds this man. I’m suspicious.

        Time will tell, as it did in my homeland. The people were promised Brexit and conservative values by Boris Johnson… he lied. I hope with all my heart this isn’t the case here.

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