Two poems by Susie Forster, with Pastor Martin Neimoller’s famous poem following her homage to “First They Came.”
First, they came for the undocumented
But I did not speak out,
Because I had documents.
Then they came for the other immigrants,
Those with traffic tickets, or tattoos,
And then the foreign students,
And then all the rest…
But I did not speak out
Because I was born here.
Then they came for the autistic,
And other mental disfunctions,
It was just a registry,
Until it was more.
But I did not speak out,
Because I am neurotypical.
Then they came for the protestors,
But I did not speak out,
Because that would make me a protestor.
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To protect me.
First They Came
by Pastor Martin Niemoller
First, they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me.
It Is Time to Feed Our Bees
I am listening
To an old man with a slow voice.
He is reciting poems by Chuya Nakahara,
On YouTube
Perhaps I should say Nakahara Chuya?
I am writing
To the ten senators who gave in and voted yes,
Like fragile blades of tender grass consumed.
He chews and swallows.
The grazing bull is oblivious that grass are individual plants.
We must be more
Than soft spring grass.
We are none of us here to feed Bovine Incorporated.
We are wildflowers;
It is time to show our thorns and feed our bees.
