When You Cage Children *
what do you expect them to learn
when they grow up
to seethe against America
and everything and everyone American
what did you expect them to learn
did you think that they would understand
did you think that they would accept
their roll as pawns in The Art of the Deal
did you think
they would see that we are just protecting
our god given right
to the American dream from a bunch of immigrants
what they will understand
is that their hearts have been so black
since before they can remember
that there is nothing but darkness and hurt
they will know hate like a warm gun
because they have known nothing else
we have shoved hate down their sobbing throats
and sought to exonerate ourselves
by quoting The Bible
my God
and listen to this
if you’re an American
you’re goddamn right you’re to blame
liberal conservative republican democrat
this is your government
your president
every single one of us is to blame
own it— do something about it
or move to Canada—
* Title taken from Maggie Rue Hess
without her permission, i.e. she is not responsible for any content of this poem.
12 thoughts on "When You Cage Children *"
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I expect Canada seems like a welcoming haven at this point . . .
Yes Bruce, in many ways it does and I have been told to just go back where I came from almost since the day I arrived in the United States. The problem is that I love it here, under normal circumstances I love it about 95% of the time which I suspect is above average. So, I keep hoping things will change and I believe they will change no matter who is in power because I believe “We the people…” will carry the day no matter what.
The first thing that came to my mind when I started this poem was how I knew it would grab me, shake me by my throat until I gagged up the power to push myself out of bitching complacency into forceful action. I said to my sel- this will be the poem that changes me and all who read. Bobby I was wrong I am sorry to say what started strong turned into your rant that turned into your dream of a humankind that is kind and actually gives a big enough damn to stand up and end government orchestrated atrocities against mankind for power, greed, and supremacy. I should have known you are a dreamer. Hope you are healing.
Well Cathy, The original poem was significantly different than the version I posted. I have to admit I chickened out from putting out there for all to see how viscerally vicious I feel about these atrocities. So I ‘niced’ it up to be palatable hoping it would still do some throat grabbing. I am healing, thank you and at some point I may send you the original poem. To be honest though, I’m a Green card holding immigrant from a Country that just went on the shit list and I wake up every morning frightened that this will be the day that there will a knock on the door…
I appreciate your attribution with the title, and I was gratified to read how you extended my closing thought throughout this poem. We are all to blame, and it’s going to take all of us to undo what has been done in the name of America.
Amen Maggie, I’m glad I took things to a place you feel is appropriate.
Bobby – I am glad to see all the poems on here dealing with this current problem – Yours does take the step forward that unites us all in blame. I do like the idea that you are a dreamer who imagines humans as kind and standing up for what is right. That is a dream I will always hold onto as well!
every president has done something that deeply angers me, regardless of party… i might render them all as fools acting foolishly, but usually i understand their decisions based upon the platforms of their respective party. there is no logic to this at all… and as an individual, i’ve lost any ability to convey a rational thought to those who seem to value reckless governing…. poetry, as always, to the rescue.
“Poetry as always to the rescue” to that I say AAAAmen. I, too, am tortured by the atrocities, this government and many others inflict on humankind for some of the most heinous reasons. Poetry that grabs me and gently slams me up against the wall asking me what the hell aren’t I doing to make things better, or on the opposite spectrum, poetry that takes me out of my body and mind is my favorite kind. I wish that your words, Bobby, Ron, Imi, Sylvia, Mary Allen, Sherry Chandler, Jude McPhereson, Tina, Elizabeth, Jay,… the endless array of locals and all the poets/writers in the world, could and would take me by the hand, lead me to the ways to turn all our worlds into promised lands. I am lost without guidance. I sit and stare out the window and wonder what it is that many of us don’t know but all of us should, like why? What does the top tier aim to gain by separation of families? Caging of children? Caging of African American men, incarceration for profit,…? There is a reason why they want to take all the “native” out of the Native Americans and that is why they take their children away, to have control of what they learn and say, how they look and speak. Our government/fuel oil and drilling companies, would be so much happier if there were no Natives left to protest and what about all the land, reservations, that was given to them to pay them back for what we took from them? They have too much fight, their voices are becoming more and more educated every day. And the casinos they own? Now they are profiting, too. DANGER When people start to become equals that is frightening to the ruling factions. Is fear of equality what governs them or is it greed or is it both? All I know is I don’t want to be president but I would so vote for upfromsomedirt and a slew of other writers, thinkers, doctors… to run this dog and pony show. Thanks to all the poets that wrote, and write about what isn’t right.
A strong political poem, mr. baker.
I appreciate your statement.
I love the raw anger in this poem! It expresses what so many of us are feeling.