In the past two years, how many of you have…
Donated when you didn’t have money?
Volunteered when you didn’t have time?
Drove across county lines?
Hitched your wagon to another state’s campaign?
Pounded pavement in the rain?
Had uncomfortable conversations with strangers?
Text/phone-banked in the free hours of your existence?
Took the path of most resistance?
Marched when it was too hot or too cold?
Marched sick or when you were in pain?
Stuck a sign in your yard, to hell what the neighbors say?
Called your representatives when you were afraid,
butterflies in your stomach?
How many of you never gave up,
despite the poll results,
despite the pundits’ thoughts,
despite “lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch'entrate”
scrawled on every voting booth
in every town redder than Mars,
despite the new wounds and the old scars –
how many of you saw this war as your lone peace,
at night when the beast was asleep,
and the only sound was a nation crying?
Whatever happens tomorrow, you are the sea to shining to sea.
You are the brave knight. You are the Valkyrie.
