He came to my door as I was cooking dinner

My feet were tired on a Wednesday night

And I was cold, it was winter

I’m not even sure if he knocked but I heard my dog barking and saw him craning his neck

Then I saw that man standing at the foot of the steps

He waved at me through the window

I didn’t want to go

But I stepped outside, reluctantly

He was 5’8 with a gray beard

“I’m running for city council,” he said to me

Just as bad as a salesman, I feared

I looked at him as he told me about his background

A doctorate in education, he was a proud father, retired Navy

He asked for my vote

I said maybe

He handed me his card as he asked, “What issues matter to you?”

I told him, “I don’t put a lot of faith in politicians

I vote and live per my own volition

Let me go to work and keep some of the profit

Tell me how much I owe in taxes

Pave the roads, fund defense

Take care of your own body, your kids

Clean your own house, fix your fence

Simply, leave us alone, let people live”

He smiled softly and nodded

I stepped back inside

My husband came in from the back door

We hung out together that night with our dog

Went for a walk, put our feet up, supped

Prepped for the next work day

Did what mattered

I hope that politician went home and did the same