very poised & powerful; I enjoyed the mood of this
KS
On 13/02/2008, Mark Weiss <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> THE PERSISTENCE OF RACE
>
> The black man who dawn to dusk
> sits on the nearest bench stops me today,
> announcing: "that damned pigeon
> just shat on my shoulder."
> "Birds have no repect,"
> I tell him, and he answers:
> "I don't mind if a blackbird does it, it's
> the pigeons bother me."
>
> Discrimination transposed to birds.
> On the walk in the woods behind him what remains
> of a chickadee, gray and white,
> and a single spot of red that the cat left
> as if in thanks for the meal. And deeper in my neighbors
> every day leave perfect roosters, bound with ribbons, as bribe
> for power or love, and the homeless, always hungry,
> leave them be.
>
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