(A reflection on Verse Five)
Easily provoked, anger instantly arriven
I bristle, ears ringing and face flushed pink
A trapped and desperate animal driven
By self-preservation’s howling instinct
Taught to stand up for myself without a stammer
I forcefully plead my well-practiced case
Playing my part in endless courtroom drama
Running for my life in the American rat race
I bow in awe to those fully human who don’t wilt
Who pass the gom jabar with no pretense
Patiently accepting all charges, guilty without guilt
Declining to mount one word of self-defense
May I too have courage and a view that’s higher
Emptiness cannot hurt emptiness in turn
May I take my lumps as coal for the fire
And run to the stake singing “Burn, karma, burn!”
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Copyright Deborah McGlauflin 2010. All rights reserved.
