SPANGLED NATION SPEWING

From Vancouver’s waterfront
to Windsor’s Ambassador Bridge,
border cities must bear our boisterous,
swaggering neighbour’s weight—
as they snarl and skid into us
through gritted fences.

There have been glimmerings
into the mood of the nation—
as when a hoodie becomes a hood,
a mask, camouflage,
a phone, a concealed weapon,
youth perceived as threats,
and hence, targets.

Along with all the other targets,
targeted for daring to deviate
from ‘the norm,’
the almighty, righteous,
white man’s ordained normal.

As when the spangled nation
salivates or spews,
with nothing in between—
might abused, might enough

to drag us along
via rousing dogmata,
endless expansionism
and drone-striking jingoism,

as the coastline burns,
gray whale blubber boils,
pretzel-stuffed crows stagger
and eagles, lungs tarred, plummet.

Dazzled into deference too long,
our messages mauled mid-delivery,
we no longer hold our tongues.

We unmask, unsheathe,
sever your bomb-lit screeds,
hack out truth
from the wreckage.