Trumbull's Political Poet: Elections, Gerry and Scarlet

The following is a letter to the editor.

         "SCARLET'S  LETTER"

 By Carol Hudak

"Neither snow nor rain . . . "

                   There was no snow,

                    There was no rain,

                    The day Scarlet's anonymous letter came . .

 " . . . nor heat nor gloom of night . . ."

                    The season was fall,

                     Prettiest of all,
                     And the sun was shining bright . . .

 ". . . stays these couriers . . ."

                     Scarlet's mail arrived, 

                     Same time every day:

 ". . . from the swift completion . . . "

                      Postmarked only the day before,

                      From a place - not quite - so far away . . .

 ". . . of their appointed rounds."

                       Her name and number in clear view

                       The return address?

                       Who knows, who knew?

Scarlett opened the envelope,

and read the clearly typed page;

Innuendos filled with nastiness,

Left her fuming in an angry rage . . .

Then Scarlet saw Gerry,

Still meandering all over town;

Still searching for his gerrymandered

voting place,

Which still could not be found . . .

Gerry had missed election day,

And was wearing a huge frown;

"Scarlet, Scarlet! Tell me please,

Who won this time around?"

Scarlet was forced to tell Gerry,

How the whole election went;

Gerry screamed, fell on his knees,

Tears profusely watering the cement.

Gerry was now 89,

Scarlet helped him up, from his fall;

She told him of her anonymous letter . . .

     "Scarlet, with moved voting booths and

                anonymous letters,

             the town I once loved,

         is now making my skin crawl."

Scarlet wished Gerry well,

as he continued on his quest;

Cane in hand, Gerry hobbled along,

Refusing to stop for a rest . . .

Scarlett watched Gerry

As he trudged;

Determination now on her face . . .

"If Gerry will keep up the search,

and never take a rest;

Then I, Scarlet, don't give a damn - - -

I'll find,

and I'll expose,

this anonymous-letter-sending pest!"

        *           *

PS:  Gerry meanders, Scarlet searches.