the easiest run

I am an illegal.

What does that make you?
Do you know?
Do you know how this is
how this feels
my dad
a criminal
what I want
no matter how hard
I try
I'm going to end up
in Mexico.

I could run for you
I will push harder than ever
than I ever have before
and I will
brave this road where everyone can
see me
can witness my
slow, plodding
lumbering self
I will brave them
and I will brave the pain that
surrounds my
achilles
but I won't let it be my
achilles.
I will stare down
these people who
refuse to fight
out of hopelessness
out of ignorance
they chose to walk
the walk and talk
when all they get
is talk.
at least I get
to ring out my thoughts
this anger
body and mind
like a washcloth
and then I can
scrub myself again.

but at least
I was allowed to be here.
at least
I am allowed to be.
where does that place you
where is a place for you?

University Avenue, Minneapolis

at the University of Minnesota
an avenue of higher ed and frat boy fred
and manicured lawns and a parking garage
past the western, cowboy hat Arby's
past the Holiday Inn, pockets of sin
a night club next to the restaurant Casablanca
and government buildings between high grain towers
and always a Head Start bus
heading down 27th
and Prospect Park
on one side iron and industrial
on the other a privileged haven
You know that's why it's a witches hat.
She lives at the top.
She oversees at the top.
and you're not allowed in
you're not allowed in.
You're not allowed to see
how she doles out her justice
how it is given everyday.
you're to stay in your haven
sleep the day away
lose your inhibitions by night
but never climb to the top
to the top of the tower
then you might see. You might know
she's not really there.
Prospect Park on both sides
Arby's signs and clinic lines
and college students on bikes and in fights
and where is that justice
over University Avenue.

Language Learner Meeting

Ce matin
nous parlons en anglais
au sujet d'etudiants qui parlent
plus de langues
Quelle programme?
Quelle aide?
Qu'est-ce que tu pense
Qu'est-ce que tu pense au sujet de leur
mal grammar, mal phrase
mal examen de ecrire
et le repetition.
mal phrase
mal phrase
mal phrase.

Donc, tu as un poeme de moi
et un poeme que j'aime
et un poeme avec
mal phrase
mal phrase
mal phrase

Quelle programme est-ce que tu as pour moi?

Bruises

Really great bruises
those you can wear
one the width of a baseball
with a position of pride-my left calf.
bruises that say
yeah, I like to play
I do that
I get outside
I go. I do. I am.
I am strong. Powerful. Active. Woman.
Just like a summer tan
with a band of white
where your Timex was.
Really great bruises mean summer
and you can't remember
where you got those
Really great bruises.
Say that with a smirk and
a slow nod.

It isn't always really great
not always about summer
and running and laughter and
Strong. Powerful. Woman.
Sometimes it is just.
just.
just the opposite.
Sometimes it's all hidden
and you wear soccer socks
and that's if you wear shorts
but on laundry day or not laundry day
you've got to wear jeans
because these bruisessmallwounds
these are not the
Strong. Powerful. Woman.
that you are.
or maybe that is.
maybe these are.
Strong.
Powerful.
Woman.
that
you are.

Les circonstances especials

Quand tu as une ligne
casse
et les autres lignes
Ils sont jusqu'a
jusqu'a casse
aussi.

Pour un longtemps
les lignes
linger.
Jusqu'a le temps
quand tu as une.
Seulement.

Une ligne
et les autres sont
popping, jumping

C'est mon Huis clos
mon hotel
mon enfer.

et c'est comme votre estomac
et les epauls quand on est
fatigue et
complet
du pain
ma peau allonge etire
et ma tete maintenir en place
par
that
une ligne
seulement.

These Expectations

I expect college will help me.
I want to go
to help myself
so that
I am able
to help my family, my community
and all, all that I expect
is for college to help me.

There is a lot that I want
but expect?
and who is to say?
who decides
what I can
what I should expect?
did you expect?
expect me to expect more?

and I know that it wasn't expected
expected that my voice would be heard
but I've been writing
silently working
silently plotting
silently becoming

and now it should be expected
I expect that I will be expected
and why shouldn't I?
Why shouldn't I write
or become?
That is what I expect.
You
all of you
should begin to expect
these expectations.

it's not too much
not too much to expect.