The Gerrymanderer
he drew lines
to his right
to his left
battle lines
before him
behind him
jagged lines
above him
below him
crooked lines
to divide
to conquer
curved lines
twisted into
pretzels
bloody lines
between
red and blue
rich and poor
black and white
citizen and immigrant
gay and straight
binary and nonbinary
young and old
men and women
fathers and sons
mothers and daughters
brothers and sisters
best of friends
us and them
a web of lines
tangling hearts
with fear and hate
he drew lines
of division
in the sand
until he etch-a-sketched
himself into a corner
boxed himself in
couldn’t get out
wielded his pen
like a stiletto
cut himself
into a thousand
little pieces
- © Todd Matson 2021
Todd Matson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He has written poetry for The Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling, has been published in Ariel Chart International Literary Journal and The Chamber Magazine, and has also written lyrics for songs recorded by a number of contemporary Christian music artists.
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