September Poem 53: I am Not Racist but… Now You Think I am Going to Say Something Racist

I am in the underrepresented class

Of straight, white, American male. The “I-

am-not-racist-but…” of identity

Politics. The disenfranchised too big

To study too untalented to do

A damn thing in sports. The raised by a

Single mother that made just enough money

To keep food on the table and a roof

Over our head. The raised by a mother

That had to work two shifts every night to

Keep us just off public assistance. The

Go see his dad on the weekend but have

No male or female role model in the

House. The be without parental super-

Vision the rest of the time. The how the

Fuck did he stay out of jail and off drugs.

The it wasn’t because he didn’t have

A chance. The this is the last time you’ll hear

Me talk about it because it makes me

Sound racist and sexist if I have an

Opinion on anything. The don’t work

Hard because it takes hard work. The don’t do

The work because you are smart enough to

Know the shit without it. The don’t get a

Good job because you let yourself be that

Loser. The don’t write poetry because

That is for other folks (Not that there is any-

Thing wrong with that.). The don’t read books if you

Are a real man. The don’t go to college

Because you barely made it through high school

Without dropping out. The don’t go back to

School because you are too damn old. The don’t

Go back to school because you are too damn

Broke. The don’t go back to school because if

You were smart you would have been through college

Years ago. The don’t follow your dream because

You never had one in the first place. The

Don’t follow your dream because you have to

Earn a living. The why the fuck didn’t

You pay attention to what you were told

Before you ended up with that useless

Fucking English degree. The what are you,

One of them folks that wants to write poetry?

(Not that there is anything wrong with that.)