When I think about impermanence 
I think of it as an immutable quality of life.
When I think about democracy, though,
I want to believe in its permanence.
 
That belief, or illusion,
is what gets me knocking on doors,
making calls, and mailing my ballot. 
 
Maybe both are true: empires come and go,
 and there is wisdom in believing in the illusion of their permanence,
 at least until proven otherwise.