The Phoenix File

Twas the night before the election
When all through the land
All the pundits were spinning
With projections so grand

Campaign bunting was hung
From the rafters with care
By staffers who hoped that
The choice would be clear

No surrogates were nestled
Anywhere close to their beds
Too many visions of pollsters
Were filling their heads

People were glued
To their TV’s all night
Hoping the finish line
Soon would be close or in sight

The networks were frantic
To fill time with their chatter
About candidates some felt
Were like Alice and The Mad Hatter

Remotes were clicking between
Each of the channels
To see what was said by the
Talking head panels

It was dark in the East
And light in the West
America waited
To learn who’d be best

Red states and blue states
With their R’s and their D’s
Were counting the votes
To see who’d be pleased

The commercials were over
No more ads would be run
TV watching would return from
Frustration to fun

Analysts and catalysts were
Whipping up their crowd
Provocateurs and raconteurs
Were competing to be loud

Now Wolf
Now Anderson
Now Brokaw
Now Holt
On Pelley
On Kelly
On the bright ones
And the dolts

The hate and the anger
The nastiness and rage
Exhausted us all
No matter our age

Would it be him or be her
We wanted to know
Would it be left or be right
Which way would it go

Would we get gifts in our stockings
Or a big hunk of coal
Would our fav come up short
Or would they reach for their goal

Would we cheer as a nation
Despite who had won
Would we all come together
With the new era that’s begun

Will there be grace and humility
Will love of country prevail
Despite the hurt feelings
And the pain and travail

Will civility and pride
Be the rule of the land
So the nation can move forward
With a sincere outstretched hand

The campaign was contentious
And some said pretentious
So let’s abandon behavior
That’s demeaning and licentious

A new leader will be named
After the last vote is in
The losers will lose
And the winners will win

The nation’s not perfect
But it’s best among others
It’s time now to rejoice
My sisters and brothers

That power will transition
Without intimidation or gun
Democracy is the winner
It’s freedom that’s won

Let the past be the past
Give the new leader a chance
To start bringing us together
After the last inaugural dance

When the TV’s go dark
And the radios are off
When the last post has been posted
And the last vote has been voted

Sleep well America
Tomorrow’s a new day
The process has worked
There’s no more to say.

Except God bless our nation
And our President-elect
We can hold our heads high
And stand proudly erect

The peaceful transition of power
Is the price that some gave
So we might live peacefully
In the land of the free and
The home of the brave

And one thing’s for sure
Through the smiles and the tears
We can count on doing it over
In just four more years.