Iowa stands on the edge of a major political transition. The voices of everyday Iowans are more crucial than ever. The piece below isn’t just poetry—it is a protest. It’s grief for what’s been lost under Governor Kim Reynolds. It is also fury at those who stayed silent. It serves as a challenge to every candidate lining up to replace her. It strips away the polish and pageantry of campaign season. It exposes the truth: Iowa’s future won’t be shaped by slogans. It will depend on who dares to show up, speak out, and vote like they mean it. This piece was written for the overlooked, the underestimated, and the wide-awake. Read it. Share it. Then ask yourself—who’s really running for Iowa, and who’s just running their mouth?

Cornfed and Tired: A Love Poem to Iowa with a Side of Side-Eye

Y’all smell that?
It’s the scent of Reynolds retreating—
like smoke slinking out of the Capitol
after ten years of budget cuts
and backhanded blessings.

She said “family comes first,”
but Iowa schools came last.
Said “I’m stepping down with a full heart,”
but she left our classrooms half empty,
our kids fed on crumbs,
our farmers strangled with red tape
while she courted donors in gold cufflinks.

She prayed in press releases,
but vetoed every miracle
that looked like free meals
or mental health care
or funding with no asterisk.

Now the throne is empty—
but look who’s creeping to fill it.
One hand on a Bible,
the other in your pocket.

Sherman’s out here trying to baptize the budget.
Bird’s filing lawsuits like she’s playing Whac-a-Mole
with civil rights.
Hinson talks broadband but can’t even connect
to the reality outside her press team.

And Zach? Zach’s still checking the weather in D.C.
to see if it’s safe to say anything not focus-grouped
by GOP PACs with names like “Faith in Freedom Forever”
and “Corn for Jesus.”

But Iowans,
we’ve read this book.
Hell, we wrote it.
Chapter one was called “Enough.”
Chapter two’s about you.

It’s not about red or blue anymore.
It’s about kids reading in moldy classrooms.
It’s about farmers drinking poisoned well water.
It’s about teachers buying glue sticks
while the state buys surveillance contracts.

You can’t eat a culture war.
You can’t parent your way out of privatized health care.
And you sure as hell can’t fund a future
when the government’s busy selling off its soul
one talking point at a time.

So here’s the deal, Iowa:
Let’s make them earn it.
Let’s call out the rehearsed grins
and the “I just love this state” speeches
delivered with more starch than sincerity.

Let’s vote like we’ve been lied to—
because we have.
Let’s organize like they’re hoping we’re tired—
because we are.
And let’s rise up anyway—
because that’s what we do here.
We grow things.

So this election?
Let’s grow a movement.
Let’s grow a future.
Let’s grow a governor who shows up
for all of us.

Even the ones
they wish would stay quiet.