The Vote

For all of the lives lost…

For all of the peopled jailed…

For all who marched…

For every Freedom Ride…

For every tear, they cried…

For every song that was sung…

For every dog bite…

For every billy club…

For every water hose sprayed…

For every harsh word spoken…

For every bruise and broken bone…

For every tired soul…

For every time they had to count beans in a jar…

For every time they had to recite the Constitution…

For every time they were denied at the polls…

I cast my Vote.

My vote is my voice.

You can’t suppress it.

You can’t take it away.

You can’t deny it.

My forebears worked too hard for it.

So for their legacy, for my present, and for a child’s future…

I cast my vote.