Red State, Blue State, Checkmate, Stalemate
Red State, Blue State
Checkmate, stalemate
Republican or Democrat
Coup d’état or campaign hat
Everything’s at stake today
Play to win, pay to play
Pockets lined with lots of cash
Race is on, the final dash
Calls of improprieties
Reporting voting irregularities
All across society
Name, address, and cast your vote
For disease or antidote
Depending on your affiliation
Which idea your manifestation
Partisanship is on display
Deciding the way that we’ll all sway
Either left or right we’ll play
Once the results revealed today
Finally, it’s Election Day
Right side, Left Side
Where’s the People’s side?
What are the politicians trying to hide?
Too many secrets being leaked
A lot of the electorate is freaked
Neither candidate has peaked
Polling here, Polling there
No one asks if the voters care
All to sway who turns out to vote
Selling fear, printings quotes
The media and their ratings
Debates that stirred the hating
Violence and obscene graffiti
Open season, nary a treaty
Elephants and Donkeys
Flunkies, junkies, and zombies
Will they come out to vote for me?
It’s a numbers game that’s for certain
Get each one behind the curtain
Punches, levels, and write-in votes
Wonder who will get the most
Election watchers on the news
Counting reds, counting blues
And occasionally a purple too
Exit polls and interviews
Predicting this race isn’t easy
When both campaigns run so sleazy
Muckraking taken to a new level
Conscious twisted like a pretzel
None of the above, is not a choice
We need someone to be our voice
The Constitution and its fate
Social justice, the new tax rate
Gun control, climate change
Women’s rights, the stock exchange
Marijuana laws, the Supreme Court
Head injuries in professional sports
Government agency support
Issues, issues, and issues more
The President has lots in store
This tiny list and so many more
Overseas and in Baltimore
Rich State, Poor State
What happens today steers their fate
No one knows which way they’ll go
History helps us plan the show
Flipping red, flipping blue
What are the swings to do?
Hold your nose and cast a vote
Deep breath, clear your throat
Pull a lever or push a button
It’s either this or nothing
Seems “all the sudden”
But it’s our custom
Picking leaders effortlessly
Qualified? Preferably
Liars? Most certainly
But are they good for you and me?
Unfortunately, it’s wait and see
- When We Lost Control - October 13, 2025
- The Crumbling Space Around Me - October 10, 2025
- Sorrow - October 9, 2025
Lots of fun on a very tense day. Great work, Ralph.
Cleverly worded and penned Ralph, and so true of this unbelievable presidential race. Unprecedented. The outcome, who knows. I pray for all America that the best outcome ensues. great work.
This was great Ralph. I am sure you capture the feelings of many in this poem. It’s a big day for all you in the USA. All the best.