1
On my morning commute
I select from a library of ½ hour to 1 ½ hour episodes
that offer companionship in the daily puzzle
that asks individuals about their relationship to power
as I simultaneously consider when to turn left onto a road before dawn.
2
The mass texts and emails—sometimes personalized
always with the hook writing teachers offer
URGENT! | Re: | ALL CAPS | We’re losing ground | We can do this!
deleted with the energy usually reserved for flossing or vacuuming.
The sheer volume of pleas diluting their potency.
3
For awhile, I called my local representatives and left
messages improvised from a script that provided
the lines into which I could color;
the time spent felt simultaneously productive and
also like changing a battery. Quiet and immediately diffusing energy.
4
Email reminders of small monthly donations to candidates
selected and filed in a “Giving” folder
a frictionless way to cheer from afar
acknowledging the difference between a donation
and a fee. Skin in the game.
5
At the rally for the candidate, admist pithy t-shirts
and free churros from a supportive food truck: overheard
“I wonder how many events he does since the election is next week.”
“The money from the other side is ridiculous!”
“Can you believe how crazy it’s getting?”
My ballot—hand delivered to City Hall.
Potential energy, while I attempt kinetic.
Inspired by Five Charms in Praise of Bewilderment introduced by the October Poetry Prompt Calendar: 10/26/2026
