01 March 2011

i don’t want to know who

i do want to ask why
fredericton’s nationalists
have risen this winter
to write their hatred
in the so white snow
outside the buildings
they believe house
people they are telling
go home! leave canada!
hate wins!
the building
where i live is one
targeted by racists
not because of anyone
visibly living here
but they don’t know
who lives where

i don’t want to know who
my neighbourhood racists are
because then what would
could should i do because
of them or do with them?
better to be aware of them
than to round them up
and exile or execute them
or report them to the can
you keep a secret?
force
or prosecute with righteousness
these sidewalk bigots writing
in the public snow words
i erase with my mitts
without looking to see
if i’m being watched

i don’t want to know who
fredericton’s racists are
because that will point
my judgment finger
inward to my own heart
and i will be more of a
come from away than now
and i will be targeted and
bullied called offensive
for being direct as i am
already being judged
othered by self-superiored
in armchairs who dislike
my calling anyone to task
when what right have i
to single anyone out

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think that it is much easier to navigate through life when you know exactly where you fit in, but if you are a Canadian person of colour, they are made to feel like foster children, desperately wanting to feel like part of a family.

Anonymous said...

Your poetry is lousy.