by Marshall Begel

“Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to retire”
—Wisconsin Public Radio

Rumor has it Robin Vos
saw the writing on the wall
pointing to election loss
and chose to quit before the fall.

If poets act as legislators
as Percy Shelley aptly wrote,
would they flinch at indicators
tracking some upcoming vote?

No poet would abandon writing
for fear of losing an election—
they’d absolutely go down fighting
when so accustomed to rejection.