Among the Undivided

Written By Samantha Gibbons, Age 16

Arizona, USA

A heavy stomp penetrated upon our chests

Predominance against the fearless, yet they play the victims

The repetitive hypocrisy and endless privilege;

Repulsive presentiment towards those who are ignorant

Look left, look right

The blistering sun strikes the skin of continual drudgery,

Whereas it has another angle of the selfish complexion

Look up, look down

It was never proven, they say

My heart palpitates;

I choke on my words

Lifelong friendships down the drain

A light of hope lingers from the cloudy skies,

Happiness is peaking through the redundant smiles

The trees dance blissfully to the song of the wind

I will never forget your paradigm among the undivided.

Author’s Analyzation

Among the Undivided is a political poem written primarily to illustrate the effects

of opposing parties regarding socialistic aspects. It is divided into four stanzas to

separate four ideas: the recent presidential election, the political divisions in

neighborhoods, political conversations that cause friendships to deteriorate, and the

sociological outcomes that result from the election. I initially wrote this poem so that it

suited my personal experience, however, it can be interpreted in numerous ways.

Furthermore, there are symbols that appear throughout the poem that I would like to

address for a better understanding.

The phrase “a heavy stomp” (stanza 1, line 1) refers to the political symbol of the

Republican party, being an elephant. I specifically used that to convey the message of

how the Republicans treated the minority groups within America; stomping on them

and putting unnecessary weight on their chest of inferiority. The hypocrisy between

controversial issues become apparent in political conversations. The wealthy live in

their own utopian bubble and continue living their lives as though the world revolves

around them, disregarding the lives of minorities. The saying “ignorance is bliss” is the

epitome of the privileged lifestyle and thriving off of what a capitalistic society has to

offer.

In the specific neighborhood I live in, the tensions were higher than ever during

late October and early November. I would drive down the streets as I physically looked

in both directions, seeing a divided neighborhood. Not even exaggerating, the

representation for the two primary political candidates were split fifty-fifty. I vividly

remember seeing the hard-working actions of minorities in the houses of Republicans,

where the privileged would continue to go live their lives as though nothing affected

them. Specifically, in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic, I used the phrase “Look up,

look down” (stanza 2, line 4) to refer to me looking up and seeing the planes filled with

the privileged citizens going on their vacations. However, I would look down the road

and see people who are struggling to find opportunities to thrive in a safe environment

while simultaneously pondering how they will pay for healthcare if they do get sick.

From my personal experience, most of the Trump supporters who have civil

conversations with me always provoke the argument of “It was never proven”

concerning Trump’s actions and taxes. It was never proven that he had over fifteen

assault allegations, either (Desjardins). This year has been relatively difficult because

not only did the pandemic reveal people’s true colors, it also made me question who I

was friends with. I was shocked by the amount of ignorance I was surrounded by and

how the majority of people cannot form their own opinions, but primarily base them off

of their parents. There have been drastic effects on varying political views on my own

personal relationships, as I am sure on others as well.

Thankfully, Biden won because I could not stand another four years of prevailing

racism, prejudice, and discrimination within the United States. I feel as though I have

put on a fake smile for the past four years, but now true happiness is projected when I

do smile. Not because I think everything is resolved, but we took one step in the right

direction. Nonetheless, I will never forget the way that people acted during these

unprecedented times. There will never be an excuse for the actions people took in

attempts to exemplify nationalism to an extreme extent.

Works Cited

Desjardins, Lisa. “All the Assault Allegations against Donald Trump, Recapped.” ​PBS,

Public Broadcasting Service, 14 Oct. 2016,

www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/assault-allegations-donald-trump-recapped.