David X Novak
  • Home
  • About
  • Poetry
  • Plays
  • Prose
  • Books
  • News
  • Contact

American Subtext, or, The Fear that Underlies Birtherism

8/23/2017

 

Barack Obama foreign born?
   
Those who affirm that lie
Do more than factual reason scorn,
    And here is what and why:

Deep-seated insecurity
    Reveals itself therein,
That fraudulent hegemony
    Is founded on their skin.

The citizens and families
    Of longer pedigree,
In the US
— no short-term lease — 
    Were born of slavery,

While immigrant-descendents, they
    Hold not so deep a claim
To title in the USA,
    Latecomers to the game.

Each time these so-called “birthers” talk
    Remember what’s their stake,
And why at reasonable fact they balk,
    Who’d have and eat one cake.

Anon the borders must come down
    And sovereignty realign
Upon a global movement grown
    Without a color line.

“All men created equal,” this
    Just thinking must affirm
(But some subvert analysis
    Because it makes them squirm).


Comments are closed.
    Picture

    News?

    A new poem is always news to the poet.
    ​Or whatever.

    Archives

    April 2020
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed