A vote as an expression of hope

Spotted in the woods while on a walk, 

This image makes me weep: 

It seems a lifetime has passed 

Since the days when I, too, cared enough 

To expend this kind of energy 

Declaring my love for my country... 

Can innocence so oft betrayed — 

By assassinations, the Vietnam War, 

The machinations of various presidents 

And politicians; ongoing revelations of

The racism and greed at our roots — 

Can that innocence ever be regained? 

My vote is an expression of hope.