ever
been given
a gift you don’t want?
my grandparents weren’t white
enough for america.
It took the ovens and the hunger
of father & mother
it took political necessity
to make my people white.
-ish.
We had to be white
enough to elicit sympathy and sacrifice
and donations for war
whiteness was handed to us
like a prize with a smile
expected to mollify
modify
sand off the jigsaw nubs that makes us unique
re gifted –
not long before the Italians and Irish and Poles were gifted–
But somehow that was different – they wanted it – wanted belonging
A woman I knew once called me a gringo
But I told her the gringos que habían cagado en sus muertos
that shit on her dead
looked at killing us as venerable traditional
revered
I didn’t ask for this gift
& while I know it’s bad manners
I decline to accept
The only good thing is
now I can pass
through the 1st purge
at least
Rusty Truck 