By Kate Vanskike

I’m tired, afraid, mad, and sad. Mostly sad. 

Tired of seeing a man incite violence
and never pay the price for it. 
Tired of seeing him ridicule
democracy and decency.
Tired of senseless, childish name-calling
by a person wanting to represent
the people he insults.

Afraid of the example being set. 
Afraid of the turmoil so many will face. 
Afraid for immigrants and trans people,
those of non-Christian faiths,
and all on the margins.
Afraid for the planet we are called to protect.
Afraid for our public health.
Afraid for our children
as they ultimately have to fix this mess. 

Mad, recalling how the right demonizes the left.
Here’s an example: Remember the Clinton/Lewinsky incident? People bought and read every page of detail of the Starr Report. And now the same people turn silently away from the multiple cases of the man they just voted for, who has hired multiple prostitutes and had multiple rape cases — I want to know: Did they read every detail of those reports, too? 

Mad, because you want to be tough on crime,
but elected a convicted felon.
Mad, because you say
your vote was about economics,
and hired someone with 6 bankruptcies. 
Mad, hearing you call one candidate a liar
while the person you voted for
is the king of deceit.
Mad that — TWICE now —
a strong, experienced woman candidate
has lost the presidency
not to a decent, capable man,
but to THIS man. 

Sad because of the laughing stock
our nation has become in the world. 
Sad because the debates
that used to make sense
have been twisted and warped.
Sad because good-hearted people I love
are blind to the realities. 
Sad because good-hearted people I love
haven’t paid attention
(or have paid too much attention
to the sources brainwashing them). 
Sad because good-hearted people I love
have been fooled by the ultimate fool. 
Sad because I wanted girls
across the country
to look up and see a woman at the helm. 
Sad because individuals won
over the common good.
Sad because we’ve already seen
this man in power before
and we’ve seen how pitifully he left.
Sad because half of America
voted for him again.
Sad because my own home is split,
and we keep the peace
but that means not speaking truth.

I will eventually turn this energy into a force for good. We will gather our strength and burn brightly in the darkness.

But today I will feel tired, afraid, mad, and sad.

And I will share tears and hugs with those who understand.