The American presidential election
has come down to a
words matter candidate
and her
it's only words opponent.
One uses words
the way a munitions expert
approaches a live grenade,
the other
tosses the grenade
to see
what will happen next.
One respects,
considers, even fears words
while the other
sees words as fuel
and acts surprised
when an explosion results.
One selects words
as carefully
as one chooses a diamond ring,
the other
loves only the sound
of words,
unconcerned with their appearance
or meaning.
One will be elected president
and speak
for America.
Wayne Scheer has been nominated for four Pushcart Prizes and a Best of the Net. He's published numerous stories, poems and essays in print and online, including Revealing Moments, a collection of flash stories. His short story “Zen and the Art of House Painting” has been made into a short film.