I #voted this year for the first time.
Nevermind that big brother wants me to vote,
reminds me that polls are open,
to drop my slip in the box.
It’s worth it for a woman.

Breaking news: #pantsuit.

#Let’sNotDoThisAgain people.
Don’t be distracted from the goal
by the cheerleaders.

It feels good to be a #nastywoman,
part of a greater good, the Pussy Riot.
Your friends are tweeting about this.

33.8K have voted already. I voted early.
I wore my sticker today anyway.
Never used to be that proud of civic duty.

#Dedicatethevote to a loved one.
Here’s to permanent residents,
spouses not yet citizens.

Women are leaving “I voted” stickers
on Susan B. Anthony’s grave.

“I will cut off this right arm of mine
before I will ever work or demand
the ballot for the Negro and not the woman.”
—Susan B. Anthony

Wikipedia on Susan B. Anthony:
housed a woman who escaped an abusive husband,
helped a black person escape to Canada.

#PostVotingStressRelief
Drinking chai, eating dark chocolate,
support group where assault survivors
commiserate about the state of society
and mentality of hate.

The next morning,
Trump.

The next week,
swastikas.

Strep throat,
thrush,
cold sweats,
first frost.

*This is a found poem, the source of which is trending hashtags on Twitter on the night of the election.

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Ani Keaten is a poet grown in the desert mountains of Idaho. She writes about daily life. She enjoys creating art with oil pastels, looking at rare rocks, and seeking out high places from which to take pictures. www.anikeaten.weebly.com @anikeaten