I.
She wakes with a start
Dreams of drowning
Finds she is still at her desk
A drool patch glistening
Gone midnight in the house
Halls silent that had hummed
With things politic
Senators cloaked in secrecy
Had come bearing gifts
Promises of power
She wipes her face
Straightens her hair
There will be no bargaining
At this ungodly hour
II.
"You should stand," they said
“Think of the good you could do.”
A flatterer’s tongue never tires
The words like music to her ears
Finally an altruistic use
For her sudden unwanted celebrity
A way out of endorsing products
And into endorsing important ideas
She had always admired politicians
It seemed a selfless profession
As an athlete she saw parallels
The subjugation of the ego
In the cause of a greater ideal
Her naivety led her by the nose
III.
"It's the way of the world."
The world's way makes her weary
Older with each sacrifice
Each deal more sad and dreary
How much self-loathing
Is she prepared to live with?
It's a question unasked
Merely practiced in the dark
Like a prelude to murder
A wish half whispered
She had only ever wanted
To represent the people
Now she is writing blank cheques
For bankers cashing in old evils
IV.
"Wake up! The electorate
Doesn't care who you are.
They only care about what they want."
Meaning: she is expendable
Political cannon fodder
It doesn't matter that she
Won a gold medal for her country
The dais is long gone
Anthems no longer play
In politics rules are for bending
Democracy is a dream sold
In supermarket aisles to keep
Those without power hoping and
More importantly, spending
© shaun patrick green 2014
