I Have This to Say About That

Don't those pollsters know
that married women
lie in the presence
of their husbands?

They lie mostly about
money and politics.
And sex. That, too.
They sneak shopping bags
in the back door.

If their husbands notice
something new,
they say, "What?
This ole thing?"
And when they pull

that poll booth curtain
closed, who's to know?
And white women, well,
they'll vote for a woman
or a black man

without flinching. And smile
while they do it. Just like   
they smile when asked
"Was it good for you, too,
honey?" "Why, yes,"

they say. "Yes."

 

[This poem has been published at New Verse News.]

UPDATED 15 JAN: I've posted a response to comments on this poem here:  Politics & Poetics

Comments

[Alan Bender]

This is excellent. Really cuts to the bone <~) Have you considered submitting to The New Verse News? This is the kind of thing that audience would appreciate. I am known as "HL" on NVN, my latest was on Jan 1, The New Verse News: NOT TOO LATE FOR COMMUTATION

btw, thanks for the comment on TOP.

[SB]

Thanks for the suggestion, Alan. I did submit, though we'll see if posting on one's personal blog counts as 'previous publication.'

[Alan Ender]

Yes!

[susan]

Well gone with your bad self! Ain't madatcha as we black women like to say. lol

[SB]

Why, thank you!

< curtsies >

[catnappiing]

well done.

ya know, one of the things that kinda bothers me about absentee ballots is that so many women have abusive husbands watching over their shoulders as they fill them out...

Oh, this is so true! That ending is perfect!

[Christine]

I like the plainspoken tone to your poem, and the truth it tells.

[gautami tripathy]

Excellent poem

However, I need to say something else entirely.

Anyone has the right to vote to anyone he/she wishes too.

And categorising as Woman or Black man is demeaning. We vote for a person, not to any gender or colour.

We Indians learnt that 60 years back since our independence.

Just my thought. No offense ment.

[Jo]

Well this just sings! Very well done, I really enjoyed it......Yes I did.

[SB]

I've posted a response to comments on this poem here: Politics & Poetics

I hope I don't sound defensive; I'm actually interested and excited to see such interest in something I've done. I've rarely given one of my own poems this kind of attention; my poems rarely get this (particular) kind of attention from others.

[Jim Murdoch]

Excellent poem. It's good to see that poetry still has the power to ruffle feathers.

[John B.]

Sharon, in case you didn't know . . . you've been linked by Andrew Sullivan; that's how I found my way here this time, as opposed to my direct link to you.

Congrats.

[paisley]

i am sure there is some sort of political connotation to this,,, but being blatantly apolitical didn't stop me from seeing some definitely funny truths....

[Tumblewords]

Way to go! Nice link and a worthy piece. This truth is funnier than fiction!

[PaulS]

Hopefully, they're not all lying about that last one all the time.

[BarbArt]

This was so deliciously sweet and simple after the days of analysis written by the experts. You may be closest to the truth. Can you pen something similar about the Diebold machines? :-)

Found you via Andrew Sullivan. Nice work!

Thanks!

[hotspur]

The poem's not bad, except insofar as it assumes men as a group are generally bad at sex, easily duped, and angry to hear about anyone voting for someone female or black.

[SB]

I think I must have written a good poem here -- since a good poem must serve as a mirror to the reader. And readers of this one see very different and surprising things...