the stuff on us

we have
always been covered
in the stuff
opaque
a color
not yet named
we look
picked up
from Earth
dipped in bitter syrup and
rolled in
coarse
dust

we remember not
a time without
the stuff
on us
but we feel that
it
is not
a part
of us
it is something
evil
extra

it
weighs our steps
it
pulls our faces
early to adulthood
early to age
with wrinkles
that tell
of pain

pain yesterday as
demons came
to our continent
reeking like
the stifling smell we
have all grown used to
the smell of
the stuff
on us

they
took us
away
took us
in chains
to the coast
to these boats

boats hauling us
toward ships
bound for fate’s hopeless
cold and distant shores

we lift desperate
lungs skyward
as our bodies cut through
waves bigger than we’ve seen
on this lake
bigger than we’ve seen
the water is
salt
and somehow the salt is cause
of some stuff
on us
to peel away

through stinging eyes we
see
see our own skin

some of us are dark
darkness not
frightening like
clouds on night
but rich beautifully varying darkness
like
the shiny wood we shape
into masks
darkness like
many stones
formed deep in Kilima Njaro
and like the earth
between those stones

some of us
are dark
but not
all of us

some of our skins
are red
red like dried blood
shed for home
land wide sustaining
seas of waist high
grass
sustaining buffalo buoys
sustaining those of
us
who
have already been made
to move
away

we are thrown to
the deck that will soon
hide us from sky
bear us away three deep and
millions wide to fate’s
far and hopeless shore

some among us are
tinted slightly yellow with
fierce dragon eyes
nose and mouth subdued
by shackles on talon hands
those of us are but four
small yellow star satellites
serving selfish wants of one
fat yellow star on fabric
dyed with
bright blood of
teachers
poets
and priests
Tiananmen tank treaded
to death
for non-conformity

we are buried alive in
the mass grave
of the ship that carries us
to death certainly
on fates far
and hopeless shore

just before the door
is sealed our captors
lay down among us
themselves covered
in the stuff
they too are chained hand to foot
in the salty gaps between
their still covered skin
we see they too
display a variety of hues
we feel the wind move
us but
know not what evil
unfurled the ghost ship’s sails
or what inhuman devil
laughs at its’ helm

in the dark
mankind floats
away from home
suffocating under the weight
of all of the stuff
on us

some of us
with black beards
and curls over ears
have olive skin turned brown
by African sun
days spent
building death homes for
pharaohs

the stuff
on the backs of those
of us
peels away from
whip scars
and sandstone abrasions
some of us
had been slaves before
as the stuff on the feet
of those
peel away
it takes
seabottom mud
bits of bread
flakes of spilled milk
stuck on soles
with stray honey
from the
delivery
from slavery

¿who will deliver us
from fate’s hopeless
cold and distant shore
¿who will completely cleanse
us from the stuff
on us
the stuff that hides
the beautiful black white
red yellow brown
of freed humanity
¿who will offer salt from
sweat of
labor for our cause
¿who will
march
march
for freedom
march
march
march
as one
one bruised bleeding body
Slowly taking
Step and painful step and
Slowly bearing the burden
of all the stuff
on us
a beam across
his shoulders
¿who will absorb every
blow oppression delivers
every sting of injustice
a woodsplinter
in his open back
our hate crimes are
nails in his vessel
that bears him to fate’s
cold and distant shore

the penalties
for those crimes
are one
one spear in his side

responsive football poem

the following rules are published in the
National Football League’s
Digest of Rules
these rules
timing
that is…
the passage of time
during America’s game

Rule #1
The stadium game clock is official.
In case it stops or is operating incorrectly,
The Line Judge takes over the official timing on the field.

The stadium game clock is official.
In the case that it stops
Football fans would do well to
Give someone a ride home from the sports bar
Mentor a depressed teen
Raise money for aids or cancer research
Lobby for an improved national healthcare system
Donate football ticket money to world hunger relief

Rule #2
Each period is 15 minutes

during each of which
someone in America
will die
because
someone in America
went for a
drunk drive

Rule #3
On charged team time outs, the Field Judge starts watch and blows whistle after 1 minute 50 seconds, unless television does not utilize the time for commercial. In this case the length of the time out is reduced to 40 seconds.

The Field Judge starts watch
And blows whistle
Multi-million dollar
Commercials convince consumers
To buy more potato chips
While 9 people die of aids

Unless telivision does not utilize the time for a commercial
In this case the length of the time out is reduced to 40 seconds
During which time
The world waits as
Someone takes their own life

Rule 4
The Referee will allow necessary time to attend to an injured player, or repair a legal player’s equipment.

The Referee will not, however
Ask that player to spend some of his millions
Helping poor kids
Pay for healing their injuries
Or just helping them buy
The school supplies
They need

Rule 5
Each team is allowed three time outs each half.

each half a year
three million children
starve
to death

Rule 6
Time between plays will be 40 seconds from the end of a given play until the snap of the ball for the next play, or a 25-second interval after certain administrative stoppages and game delays.

Or a 25-second interval for an American to die of
artery stoppages and heart delays

Rule #7
Clock will start running when ball is snapped following all changes of team possession.

As we buy possessions
With money that could
Stop death…
Death’s clock doesn’t stop

Rule 8
With the exception of the last two minutes of the first half and the last five minutes of the second half, the game clock will be restarted following a kickoff return, a player going out of bounds on a play from scrimmage, or after declined penalties when appropriate on the referee’s signal.

There are penalties for overzealous involvement with games that cannot be declined

Rule 9
Consecutive team time outs can be taken by opposing teams but the length of the second time out will be reduced to 40 seconds.

Wars have no time-outs
With all these eternal battles begging to be fought football’s skirmishes are not Worth watching

Rule #10
When, in the judgment of the Referee, the level of crowd noise prevents the offense from hearing its signals, he can institute a series of procedures which can result in a loss of team time outs or a five-yard penalty against the defensive team.

When the noise of their entertainment prevents fans from going on the offensive against human suffering, someone must institute a series of procedures which can result in a loss of America’s game, America’s drug, America’s god

Football