I Still Have Not Lost faith

I can't get to sleep tonight--I can't wait to vote!

I am watching Bruce Springsteen on C-SPAN at a Kerry Rally, and it's hard to describe how I feel after he did an acoustic version of Thunder Road, which he dedicated to Kristen Breitwieser, one of the Jersey Girls (and a hero of mine) who forced Bush to create the 9/11 commission.

It's the restful calm before the storm. I remember nine months ago taking a bus ride with (mainly) kids to canvass door-to-door for Howard Dean and feeling that this election I would have to do everything I can to make the country mine again.

As I write this, I really do feel that the whole world is watching, and I feel a calm excitement about how the day is going to turn out. I realize that whoever wins, I still have work to do,

And this song's been playing in my head:

No Surrender

Bruce Springsteen

We busted out of class had to get away from those fools
We learned more from a three minute record than we ever learned in school
Tonight I hear the neighborhood drummer sound
I can feel my heart begin to pound
You say you're tired and you just want to close your eyes and follow your dreams down

We made a promise we swore we'd always remember
No retreat no surrender
Like soldiers in the winter's night with a vow to defend
No retreat no surrender

Now young faces grow sad and old and hearts of fire grow cold
We swore blood brothers against the wind
I'm ready to grow young again
And hear your sister's voice calling us home across the open yards
Well maybe we could cut someplace of our own
With these drums and these guitars

Blood brothers in the stormy night with a vow to defend
No retreat no surrender

Now on the street tonight the lights grow dim
The walls of my room are closing in
There's a war outside still raging
you say it ain't ours anymore to win
I want to sleep beneath peaceful skies in my lover's bed
with a wide open country in my eyes
and these romantic dreams in my head