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1968

William Mollohan

I used to eat    out back
I used to enjoy    the solitude
 
I did not mind    back then    when I rode the bus    in the back
Back then    I had misplaced humility    and displaced gratitude
 
Back then    most of US    were o-kayoed    with    back there
Back when    we were over-looked    and
                             under-valued             why     would we care?
 
How could I care?
 
Back then    there were two answers
       Silence                             Compliance
   Yes Sir                                                How
Sir Yes                                                         Now
 
Have you ever been   repeatedly called
   every    endearment    their dark side    of    Negro?
 
Glacierly    parts of E Pluribus Unum    and so many
   stand-byers    suspected    I am    human    skilled    able
 
Civil rightly    I got    legally   invited    to the big    Dining Room        Table
  immediate    limited seating    refreshing    little table menu
 
ConsolationALLY   a few   of them    see my skills    do not lackkk 
 
Yet    NO    no, sir    Ain’t no more    Yessirs
 
           Hell No    No more postures    no more gestures
                                             No more    on/off    court jesters
 
NO THANK YOU    I know where I want to be
       
       Where I choose    to be
 
           Where I choose    to   BE long
 
               Oh Yes!    I will be
 
                   out back


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Dr. William Mollohan is an advocate for those of us who have been marginalized. His upcoming book, Misunderstood, is poetry about abuse, suicide, inequality, and perseverance. Some of his early work is at glimmerrevisited.com. This lifetime Aurora, IL resident has had three decades of medical practice in Addiction, Emergency, and General (Internal) Medicine.

Read the Next Poem: A Sunflower, Dawn Ramm

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  • Home
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    • Volume Five, Summer 2024
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    • Volume Two, Spring 2023
    • Volume One, Winter 2022
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Values & Mission
    • History
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe