DEAR CORY (Poem)

DEAR CORY

By Farah Lawal Harris

Sir,

I admit that I joked more than twice

that you only have two facial expressions:

surprised and resigned.

In the words of the great Bob Marley:

Is this love, Is this love, Is this love that I’m smelling,

or did a senator from America’s armpit

say enough is enough with this

natural deodorant,

lean on the podium and speak for 25 hours

sweating beads chock full of aluminum,

I’m talkin’ big balls energy,

like Larry Fishburne in School Daze

yelling for someone, anyone

to WAKE UPPPPP!

Yes, Big Brother Almighty!

I admit that I, too, like you,

have walked with my eyebrows high,

let out deep sighs about

the debrownificafion of society,

the impending disappearance of physical and social security,

showed up five fifths in rooms that deemed us three,

damned the dilly-dallying of you and your colleagues,

and cursed the hollow claims of independence and democracy.

And I still do,

but to you on this cool April morning,

I wish a good night’s sleep.

—

For Day 2 of National Poetry Month