Today was primary Election Day in NC. I am a poll worker. I wrote this about my experience.
the hour early,
the sky dark,
our coffee hot.
Inside
machines await ignition,
a warmup to countdown,
6:30 AM:
“The polls are open”
yelled out into the void.
They trickle in-
the voters young and old,
but mostly old,
while at the stations
we wait.
By noon we’ve eaten
enough for two days,
each one having brought
treats to share,
entrees to dine on.
Three meals consumed
by nibbles,
soup slurped hurriedly
as voters appear and disappear.
As darkness returns,
time checks begin on repeat
until, at long last,
the end is called,
“The polls are closed.”
We scurry to undo
what we’d built the day before.
Cars are packed
with leftovers.
“I’ll be eating taco soup for a week!”
Finally, we depart-
friends for the day,
defenders of
The Constitution.
May it ever be so.
Poetry by Melinda K Zarate
Written on 2026-03-04 at 02:51
Save as a bookmark (requires login)
Write a comment (requires login)
Send as email (requires login)
Print text
May It Ever Be So
Seven of us arrive-the hour early,
the sky dark,
our coffee hot.
Inside
machines await ignition,
a warmup to countdown,
6:30 AM:
“The polls are open”
yelled out into the void.
They trickle in-
the voters young and old,
but mostly old,
while at the stations
we wait.
By noon we’ve eaten
enough for two days,
each one having brought
treats to share,
entrees to dine on.
Three meals consumed
by nibbles,
soup slurped hurriedly
as voters appear and disappear.
As darkness returns,
time checks begin on repeat
until, at long last,
the end is called,
“The polls are closed.”
We scurry to undo
what we’d built the day before.
Cars are packed
with leftovers.
“I’ll be eating taco soup for a week!”
Finally, we depart-
friends for the day,
defenders of
The Constitution.
May it ever be so.
Poetry by Melinda K Zarate
Written on 2026-03-04 at 02:51
Save as a bookmark (requires login) Write a comment (requires login) Send as email (requires login) Print text
