I Voted



I Voted

A poem about the 2016 U.S. presidential election

I voted today
Even though I have a complicated relationship with the U.S. (as many of us do)
Although I understand the people of color
Who no longer vote 
Because they have not been given a Reason
To believe in this country's political processes
Let us not forget the undocumented Americans
Who do not have the privilege to vote
Or the Americans who've made mistakes,
Were racially profiled and/or framed 
Served jail time and Cannot Vote Again.
You see,
Even though America is arguably the worst-off first world country
And one of the worst countries to live in the world for people of color. 
I voted today
Although I know why people joke about moving to Canada
I have thought of moving to the U.K.
You see,
Even if racism exists in those places
They are not America
Where racism is culturally, structurally, and environmentally embedded
Beginning with the genocide of the Indigenous
And the economy built on slavery
I voted today
Here's hoping that America,
land of the KKK
And home of Jim Crow laws
Will one day get it together.



Hyphenated Ethiopian third culture kid. Twitter: @moonchereka

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