A Different Kind of Mayor
Plan the Work - Work the Plan

[This poem by Benicia Poet Laureate Joel Fallon was read to an exhuberant crowd at the campaign celebration at Café Voltaire on election night, moments after the announcement of election results and Mayor Patterson's victory speech.]

She dared to let the sunshine
into our council chambers.
She guided the formation
of our city's General Plan -- and we?

We put up signs all over town,
left leaflets at ten-thousand doors.
We gathered with like-minded folks
and raised the campaign funds.

With ball-point pen we marked our ballots
and got them safely in the mail.
At polls, in private, other voters
made their civic choic.

Into the night we watched and waited --
then at last -- results are in.
Our new Mayor can now begin
to work the plan to make our city well.

We've a different kind of mayor,
with barrettes in her hair
not one of your small-town good ol' boys.

Now folks can take delight in
a mayor who'll let the light in
exposing outside moneys' latest ploys.

Joel Fallon
Copyright © 6 November 2007