The Song Is Gone, But The Melody Lingers On

It is the flower of our streetside this time of year: "Vote for Pachinski, ... Katsock 2008, ... Casey for Senate." It would not be an election year without these signs around us everywhere. Whether we pay any attention to them or not, I'm not sure anyone is really sure; but they sprout like weeds every two years and are part of the landscape.

It's been said that nothing is over like Christmas. The "all Christmas music, all the time" radio stations are back to their usual "all top hits, all the time" format the next day; stores dump their remaining stock as fast as they can and life goes on as the Valentine's Day hearts go up (yes, they really do). But nothing is over as slowly as an election; the signs stay up and we think, "The winners won, so have your gleeful staff take them down." Or, "Ok, you losers, don't remind yourselves that you got hammered this time around."

But they remain. Thanksgiving approaches, happens and leaves; still the signs urge us to vote. Christmas is in the near distance and we are reminded that the future of our planet lies in the hands of this or that state representative. New Year’s rings in and there stands a lonely testament to our electoral process … or, perhaps, lies flat in some vacant lot. Vote for Smith, a Voice for Change.

How excited those signs must have been in the heady days of October! How willing to be placed where the winds and rains would hit upon them! How expectant when they saw the polls open and the citizenry voting. Then how forgotten when their candidates could not even come fetch them after their job was done.