Ode to Stacey Abrams, Star Trek Politician

It’s the Trek

and not the Star

that keeps her moving.

She is a Voyager

suspended in the

temporal rift of campaigning.

–

Inside she is Spock.

Politics makes her Kirk.

On committees she

is all Janeway.

–

The world sees

her as Lahura,

the com officer

trying to interpret

and relay messages

back and forth

from an insane planet

to the bridge

as Kirk tries to

prevent another war.

–

The Kobayashi Maru

gambit is not working.

Politics can’t be won

by changing the

rules of engagement.

What is needed

is the Data way.

–

In Stratagema

when playing

against Kolrami,

the master player,

always granted

extra pieces

and moves

so he is

forever ahead,

Data gets a

moral draw,

by outlasting,

enraging Kolrami

until he quits

the game.

–

It almost worked

for her too.

No matter,

she knows

that the Star Trek

mission statement

favors the Voyager.

Once the temporal

shifts settles

and she is in

her proper timeline

she will be the

captain of this Enterprise.