Have I Voted?

There I stood
In front of an Electronic Voting Machine,
Unable to decide.

Three pictures on the EVM
Reflected me:
Who am I?
Why should I press the button?
Why am I here?

Three pictures on the EVM smile.
One: my father's enemy.
Second: my cousin brother.
Third: I didn't know him—
He never visited my village.
The trio had done nothing as such for the village.

I closed my eyes
And tried to study their past.
It was too late to decide.
I had heard so many voices
For three days in the village, saying:
Mr. X is good,
Mr. Y is excellent,
Mr. Z is outstanding.

Who knows who is good?
Or bad?
Politicians are the dirtiest species on earth—
Even you and I, if in their place,
Would be unable to decide.

So be it.
Right is the freedom to choose.

I came out—
Perplexed and saddened.
Have I cast a vote?
Or just a shadow of one?