Vox Populi
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Christine Rhein: Attack of the Five-Foot-Four Woman
In truth, only five foot three and a half,
and attack, too, a bit of a stretch,
although I do wield an oversized
clipboard, 8 ½ by 14-inch petitions,
and—here, at my local farmers’ market—
it does feel somewhat brave, deploying
my rapid-fire Hello—would you like to
sign a ballot initiative to make voting
more accessible for citizens in Michigan?—
asking anyone who seems interested,
including that guy, a minute ago,
who marched over in his Love It or Leave It
American flag baseball cap, who shot back
at me: No way should voting be easy!
He must have seen my smile grow large
as I turned to a young woman, smiling back,
as I aimed the petition to face her.
And now I grip the clipboard tight,
prop it up on my forearms, balance it
between us. Slowly, carefully, she pens
her name, as though signing up for duty
in the middle of a battlefield.
Christine Rhein is the author of Wild Flight, a winner of the Walt McDonald Book Prize in Poetry (Texas Tech University Press).
Poem copyright 2024 Christine Rhein. First published in Atticus Review. Included in Vox Populi by permission of the author.
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I remember walking with Christine at the Bear River Writers’ Conference. She seemed taller than five foot three. Guess it was her wonderful words that made her loom large in my mind.
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HA! I’ve never met Christine face to face, but from her poems I know what you mean!
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Thank you, Charlie [she types with a big smile].
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Loved this! And you have a few inches on me. Keep standing tall!
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Had to smile all through this poem. Being short (But Mighty) I was hooked at the get go. Since I just, finally, became a citizen this year, I am looking forward to voting. It is a privilege that should easily be attainable by all citizens. Thank you for the smiles.
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Congratulations on becoming a citizen, Katherine!
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Thanks so much.
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What a great subject matter, & what delightful variations in tone/ I enjoyed the poem very much — thanks Christine. Thanks Michael.
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Thanks, Laure-Anne!
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Great poem to wake up to. Thank you!
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