Author of Madam, Have You Ever Really Been Happy? An Intimate Journey through Africa and Asia

HARD TIMES

Like many of my friends and fellow Americans, I was gobsmacked, horrified, flabbergasted, depressed, and frankly scared to death for the future of our democracy on November 5 when I viewed the election results. A sociopath with no guardrails. How could that happen? I’ve never written anything political on my blog, but I would have to put my head in the sand or crawl into a cave on Whidbey Island if I didn’t share the profound reaction that is still within me and being played out on the national and international stage right now. No amount of isolating myself from the daily news is going to work. Change and tension are in the air, and it isn’t a pretty change. But when I get up off the floor and realize that the only thing to do is to work for positive change, actively and tirelessly, perhaps my despondency will turn into acceptance of the challenges ahead and a new awareness of the possibility of a beneficial and effective outcome.

With that in mind I tweak my usual humorous style of poetry from Ogden Nash to the more lilting rhythm of Billy Collins, for a few “uplifting” lines addressed to the Trump supporters, before I return to normal. And please don’t ask me what normal is!

                        I CAN’T BELIEVE IT…CAN YOU?

We offered you peace, hope, togetherness,
And you gave us a wannabe tyrant who preaches divisiveness.

We pledged to protect a society founded on justice and the rule of law,
And you gave us a felon.

We offered women a chance to take charge of their bodies,
And you gave us a misogynist convicted of sexual assault, who doesn’t give a fig about what women are going through.

We promised help for the immigrants and undocumented students,
And you gave us a congenital liar, who claims that immigrants eat dogs and cats!

We offered help to the disadvantaged, and tax relief to the middle class,
And you gave us an insufferable billionaire, who showered tax cuts on the wealthy.

We offered new programs and more comprehensive coverage in the field of health and medicine,
And you gave us an overweight jelly-belly, who plans to take away health insurance from millions.

We promised to promote renewable energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels to mitigate the imminent danger of climate change,
And you promised a return to off-shore drilling so your buddies could become even richer.

We outlined programs to benefit every segment of our country and reduce inflation,
And you gave us an autocrat, who proposes inflation-producing tariffs on imports and the deportation of thousands of immigrant workers.

We gave you a qualified, intelligent, articulate candidate,
And you gave us an inarticulate, self-serving insurrectionist.

Yes, I was excited that we were finally going to become one as a nation,
But, instead, I was the one who totally underestimated the anger and division.

At the advice of my daughter, Cary, who suggested that I use descriptive phrases rather than unflattering labels, true ‘though they might be, I left the following out of my poem: addled buffoon, bloviating unintelligible fool, gibbering idiot, diabolical, unapologetic criminal, belligerent crook, demented, unhinged and dangerous lunatic. And those are just the ones I haven’t forgotten. Ha ha. Now it’s your turn.

The voters have elected one of the world’s most right-wing leaders, who is waving his vitriolic tongue, threatening to destroy his enemies, wreak havoc on those who disagree with him, shut down the free press, which he characterizes as “the enemy of the people,” and institute his draconian Project 2025.

I ask myself, how do I meet these upcoming tests to our democracy? Am I up to it? I will be!

But now, more than ever, I treasure the earth…and what makes me happy.

What will our path forward be?

Previous

IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO MY SUBSCRIBERS FROM MEG!

13 Comments

  1. Stephanie K.

    Thank you for saying what I was unable to articulate. I couldn’t agree with you more!

  2. kate

    Thank you, Meg, for putting my feelings into such meaningful words.

  3. Oleg

    I am sorry we’ve hurt your feelings. I really am! “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright!”. 🙂

  4. You say it so well, dear Meg! I’m forwarding your words on to those who need to hear you. Thank you for your inspiration and resilience. At 96, and you never give up. Thank you for believing. Thank you for you! xoxo

  5. Eric Brown

    I continue to love you and everything you represent with all of my heaart! You are the best!

  6. Your lines are indeed uplifting. You express perfectly in words all the ideas that I cannot. Our friend Jackie encourages me to put my visual Trumpart back out there. You inspire my activism.

  7. Joyce

    They say it’s darkest before the dawn.
    Yes… I am more than ever connecting with nature these days. My my 4 year old grandson & I hugged a tree the other day.
    By the way, just a little note to say that my grandmother was friends with Ogden Nash.

  8. Every word is true, and – despite her despair – rousing. With Megs in the world, rare though her kind might be, there’s still hope that kindness will triumph over greed.

  9. Sandie Miller

    Amen. Couldn’t have said it better myself.

  10. James Wilson

    Couldn’t have said it better

  11. Linnie

    Bravo and bless

  12. Ruth W Abel

    Hi Meg, You hit the nail on the head. I’m aghast. I’m not holding my breath that someone or something, a miracle will occur, it’s a long shot but hope springs eternal. Hang in there. Thanks for your descriptive words.

  13. GINNY KUEHN

    The entire presentation left me emotional, Meg – the accurate descriptive prose, the thoughtful advice from Cary that you took to heart, and the tree hug.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

© 2025 Meg Noble Peterson