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
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.
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