The ‘Get Out the Vote’ by Black Folks (The Truth Hidden by the Big Lie)

by Ernie McCray

I have to roll my eyes
every time
I hear a reference
to the “Big Lie,”
that compilation
of fabrications
about how an election
was stolen,
how signatures had been forged
along with votes being rigged,
and ballots dropped from the rolls
as felons and dead folks showed up at the polls,
not to mention
all the illegal Latinos
pouring across our southern borders
to cast a vote
while voters who
had moved out of some states
returned home to vote…
Can’t help
turning my eyes
towards the sky
with all that smoke blowing in my face,
especially when I know
that the originator
of these highly “Pinocchio-fied” lies
was denied
a second term as president
because, in large part,
Black voters had a head start
in seeing that he was rejected,
taking into consideration
that long before #45
came along with all his jive,
we were very busy striving to remain enfranchised,
as that’s a social and political enterprise
in which we’ve been engaged,
pretty much day to day, in some way,
for centuries.
We get no off days, if you please.
Keeping a “Grand Dragon” kind of yahoo
out of the White House,
was as important to us
as staying free of a killer disease.
While he was dreaming up
and spreading untruths
we were doing what it takes
to get people into a voting booth,
gathering together throughout the nation,
energized,
conversing and analyzing and strategizing,
utilizing, in this society,
our only real shot at
keeping our hopes and dreams alive –
while slide dancing
and enjoying barbecue,
sipping Hennessy
and praying too,
with HBCU bands on campuses
drumming and marching to a
“Get to the Polls” beat,
knocking on doors
and hitting the streets,
offering rides to the polls,
pulling off political upsets all over the place,
getting a win, with Latinos and Native people,
for Biden in Arizona of all places.

Such is the truth hidden
by the “Big Lie.”

The bigger truth being:
our very
republic slash democracy
was saved from a tragedy.