“Voting is a civic sacrament.” - TheodoreHesburgh
The theme of Poets United this week is political and social! Participants are asked to write a poem that exposes and/or challenges suffrage. A challenging theme perhaps, but I feel strongly about the right and responsibility to vote and this topic is particularly topical as we have recently had a cliffhanger of a Federal Election in which the Liberal incumbents were re-elected by a narrow margin. In Australia voting is compulsory and non-voters pay a fine. After some reflection, I wrote my poetical contribution which is given below:
The theme of Poets United this week is political and social! Participants are asked to write a poem that exposes and/or challenges suffrage. A challenging theme perhaps, but I feel strongly about the right and responsibility to vote and this topic is particularly topical as we have recently had a cliffhanger of a Federal Election in which the Liberal incumbents were re-elected by a narrow margin. In Australia voting is compulsory and non-voters pay a fine. After some reflection, I wrote my poetical contribution which is given below:
My
Vote
I don’t have time to vote –
Why should I anyway,
One vote won’t matter;
I’d rather pay the fine,
Than waste my time.
A drop in the ocean
Will not make a difference.
One drop more or less
Will hardly change the volume;
Yet the ocean is made up of so many drops.
One person cannot change the world –
So why should I bother?
My voice crying in the wilderness,
My words wasted…
And yet the voice of truth has many an attentive ear.
I made time to vote,
My vote was counted,
I was no donkey, no absentee.
That my candidate was not elected
Will not deter me from voting again, and again…
it's good that non-voters pay a fine in Australia...to vote means to stir up, to be responsible one more time, to have rationality and also to leave an impression on the younger generations. So Vote we Must. Well put Nick.
ReplyDeleteAustralia's system of voting may seem strange but it is intended to ensure that as many as possible voice their opinions and with a preferential voting (not first past the post) the candidate with the majority approval (or least disliked) is elected.
ReplyDeleteLovely nay-saying and affirming. We should try that fine bit here! We'd have to either give folks rides to the poles or make the ballots mail-in.
ReplyDeleteYou have expressed the thought process of many people lost in the process of elections, but whonfind their way back through reflection and wisdom. Well done.
ReplyDeleteMuch love...
We must vote - and yet i agree the voice of reason and humanity seems a drop in the ocean against the waves of life.. and morons!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of morons...How could Pauline Hanson get 500,000 votes.? I live in Malcolm Turnbull's electorate...so my vote is always wasted.Why are only pencils provided instead of pens?One would never fill in a legal document in pencil so why a voting paper. It makes me very suspicious.
ReplyDeleteSadly, so many people feel their vote, their voice, makes no difference. It reminds me of the story of the man throwing stranded starfish back into the sea. Someone asked him what difference it made, since the sand was covered with starfish, to throw the ones he did. He replied as he threw - It makes a difference to THIS starfish. I love the resolution in your poem, and its conclusion.
ReplyDeleteYou've certainly captured the feeling of why bother it won't make a difference, well, they should be ashamed of themselves. Enjoyed reading your poem
ReplyDeleteDefinitely worth the effort to go and vote. In some electorates, a handful of votes made the difference in getting a candidate elected!
ReplyDeleteGood poem on an odd topic!
Yes a strange topic for a poem, but the views expessed are right on target
ReplyDelete