In a blue windbreaker stopped
By our sidewalk stand asked
What are you selling Poetry
He said I’m a poet too I belong
To a poetry group let me hear
A couple poems and maybe
I’ll buy your book Coco read
Half of my poem Sold I read
All of her poem William said
I’m looking for an affordable
Place to rent He’s lived in
Pasadena for 42 years seven
Times homeless said he’s been
A computer engineer for PCC
CSULA and Cal Tech declared
He’s never paid less than $200
For an HP calculator always
Hired consultant part time
Those fair wages anyone
Unlearning
Time for everybody
To go to school again
In their calloused hearts
And relearn what we knew
When we were born
When we felt the arms of
Love lovingly cradling us,
Someone made sure we had
Enough to eat, stylish
Clothes to wear, a roof
Over our bed. How
Did we forget this?
Has it been so long
Since we were cooed
With happy sounds
Until the diapers came,
Our parents eager for us
To grow up, flush
And hear from other
Adults and children
The lessons that would
Destroy our humanity.
I still remember my father
Telling me, Don’t bring that
Mexican boy here again,
But we both loved Hot Wheels
And basketball, so I just didn't
Invite him there anymore.
Or that co-worker telling me
I was “Mexican by injection”
When I married my first girlfriend
And learned to love boleros.
Now I’m engaged again
to a woman from northern
China, who is forbidden
From re-entering the USA
Until the airlines say
It’s safe to go to America.
I check the news every day
And find my fellow
Americans are having
A hard time obeying
The safety rules. OK,
Here they are again:
Make sure everyone has
A roof over their bed,
Stylish clothes to wear,
And plenty of good food,
That’ll help us remember
We are all humans until
We die, until then,
Behave for everyone!
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