Peter Filkins, Richard B. Fisher professor of literature, reflects on this year’s election season with three poems in The Common, a prominent literary magazine based at Amherst College. Published under the title “Triptych,” the first poem, “To The Eminent Hate Mongers,” deals with the rise and control of right-wing media. The second, “Seven Almonds”—inspired by the apocryphal story of President Obama eating seven almonds each evening while working in his study—offers up a suite of haiku that seeks to convey the burdens and responsibilities of governance. The last poem in the triptych, “Mr. Khan,” holds out hope for the power of an enlightened citizenry to participate and make a difference in crucial times.