today I found the phone numbers for the offices of the representative for Colorado’s 3rd congressional district
there was the number for the DC office
and the one for here
it felt a little strange to know he lived where I did
not some distant city
I wondered if we’d already met and had no idea
at the grocery store or the downtown tree lighting
maybe he was my neighbor
it rang 3 times
then a woman named George answered the phone
and I hung up
I wanted to say something
so I dialed
but I had no idea what
so I was silent
I feel like saying something isn’t enough these days
the world is so loud with somethings
I didn’t want to say just anything
I wanted to say the right thing
I wanted to say how people should be people
not robots
masking emotion and denying human stories
counting numbers like they weren’t bodies
counting bodies like they weren’t people
I wanted to say that I didn’t want a baseball player as a representative
no one needs a shortstop who stops at nothing to win
whose only goal is to pick off the other team one by one
and ensure that only his own team
gets to go home
I want an umpire
who sits behind it all and watches for fair play
who makes sure that everyone has the same chance
to do well
and come home
I wanted to say
isn’t it amazing
this place we both live
you should come to the coffee shop I work at
we roast our own beans in house
it’s really good coffee
I’ll buy you a cup
I wanted to say that being different is what makes this whole thing work
that no change can happen
without an exchange of heat
I wanted to ask if he knew my next door neighbors
they voted yes on prop whatever and I voted no
and despite our conflicting yard signs
they always bring us their leftovers
invite us to cookouts
and leave crock-pots of soup in our kitchen
because they know we’re young
and we don’t always have everything we need
and I am so grateful that the house we found
found them
I wanted to ask if he remembered 3D movies
and the glasses they handed out before the show
one red lens
one blue
and how when you looked through both at the same time
the movie was a lot easier to see
I wanted to ask how he was doing
I know it can’t be easy
trying to speak for so many voices
so I called back
George said hello
I gave her my name and she took down my message
I asked him to be objective
because what’s going on isn’t about anyone
it’s about everyone
tori & her words 