Monday's Poetry: "Act Now"

by Pa Rock
Poetry Appreciator


I am still so psyched over President Obama's announcement earlier this week that he is stopping the deportations of certain young people who have grown up in this country and have a history of showing respect toward our laws and our institutions - kids, in fact, who have proven themselves to be better citizens than many of those who continually deride them because of their race and ethnicity.  It was a gutsy move, one that immediately inflamed the core of the Republican Party - the bigots, baggers, and birthers - people who are continually inflamed anyway.

I have been poring over the Internet in search of a suitable poem to honor the President's long-overdue, and much appreciate, decision.  I was amazed at how many poems about immigration use the word "dream," but probably should not have been because building a better life for ourselves and our families is a universal dream.  Maybe if everyone was aggressively pursuing that dream, we wouldn't have time for all of the stupidity and hatred.

"Act Now" was copyrighted in 2010 by Paul LaTorre.  It is a beautiful piece of work.


Act Now
by Paul LaTorre


Friends, Romans,
Countrymen
(& Republicans)

Please lend me your ears

I promise to give them back
when done, but
I must decree-

I have a dream...

That the Dream Act
Will be
Ratified,

That rational minds will
Cast the bigots out

Manuel can tell
Bill O'Reilly-
"Puto, get your feet
Off my couch

Your Egalitarian fat ass
storming off set of
'the View',
fuck it- WE'LL DO IT LIVE!!
on FOXNews-
kick rocks, Willy
this is my house of
representatives"

I have a dream that
immigrants here for
far over ten years already
can proudly
call themselves
'part of US'

O say can you see?

All races painting Our land-
demanding opportunity
on these golden shores
just as surely as
our foreign
forefathers did

No four score & seventy
years ago,
all our American heroes
now lay
dead

Wasn't Einstein of
German descent?

Was Madeline Albright not
a jew refugee
during World War II
from the Czech Republic?

Kennedy,
Our golden boy-
shot in his
noggin
while riding shotgun,
nodding & waving

MLK assassin grazed
by hate
as he campaigned
in Memphis

Can we respect them,
For their vision?

While still wanting to
pave way for new
Roberto Clementes
who may have come here
in an inner tube

Don't they deserve
the same chance
as me or you?

Where is the space
to stir it up,
in this- the supposed
melting pot?

Open door policy-
slammed shut,
followed by
a swallowed key

A chastity belt on
Lady Liberty
for phantom Democracy

I had a dream,
but was shaken from it
It was taken from me by
veto of Senate-
a rude awakening

Equality
may never be on
the Menu
in this restaurant,
shall we always be an
elitist, 'me first'
Nation

Maybe generation Reggaton
can change it

Do not
Repeal
Every
Achievement
Made by

Revolutionary minds
who captivated,
should we have sent
the Beatles back?

No British invasion,
or room for
Asian math, African rhythms,
gorgeous Hispanic women

Don't suffocate the flag,
let's take it back
to hang a future wave of
kid's hearts upon
the stars
we saluted

You pilgrims, too
did once migrate here to
escape oppressive rule

Don't deny them of a
DREAM

For you had that once

Let's grasp at
sons
of this nation's
first intention-

Not Independence,
let's make it once again a land of
milk, honey &
expression

Act now,
to abort the agenda of
American exceptionalists, so
ethnocentric

If they're truly that disturbed
by hard-working imports
let them pick up their bags &
take a banana boat to
Alaska
with Sarah Palin

Let's deport those truly
killing equality
bring some light to a sleeping
Democracy

So every person on our shores
can have a Dream