After the Election

by Patty Wren Smith

After the election
some of us thought that God
had smiled upon us-
had rewarded us for righteousness-
had promised to save us
and millions of sweet babies--
had shown allegiance
to the sacredness of marriage.

After the election
some of us thought that God
had become small
and mean spirited, like those
who like to make their gods
in their image.
Some of us thought
we could see them at the forge,
pounding out their chains from the veins
of gold in the human heart.
Some of us knew what they knew --
that even the shadows
can be sharpened into swords.

After the election some of us
talked about how simple it had been,
to extract those nuggets of goodness
and those ancient myths- fashioning them
towards a higher cause.
Manipulating the masses is easy
once you’ve found that core.

After the election some of us were
slain by words too small-
and bombs too dumb.
Some of us knew that morality
is larger than the body politics
of the bedroom and procreation.
Some of us believed in God’s whole house,
an ecology of relationships.
Some of us wanted that large God to come back
to occupy that house in us.