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| Caricature of former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio by Lem Luminarias. |
Arpaio sees a cage before the soul
of any brown-skinned man—
There is a god in every racist being,
chimeric fool, derogatory chant.
Arpaio sees a cage before the soul
of any brown-skinned man—
The mind molds prisoners, releases them as well,
fright detracts the willing and the fair.
Arpaio sees a cage before the soul
of any brown-skinned man—
The foreigner beneath a tarp of fear hides
from the sheriff hunting desolate lands.
Arpaio sees a cage before the soul
of any brown-skinned man—
More fascist general than lawman, stink
of Southwest sweat, sunglasses large and dim.
Arpaio sees a cage before the soul
of any brown-skinned man—
I spot the van along the American road,
a hot, disgruntled breeze, no court, and dry as death.
Arpaio sees a cage before the soul
of any brown-skinned man—
I speak, when helpless, in swallowed knives.
Nowhere to run from the people’s armored beast.
Arpaio sees a cage before the soul
of any brown-skinned man.
Alejandro Escudé published his first full-length collection of poems My Earthbound Eye in September 2013. He holds a master’s degree in creative writing from UC Davis and teaches high school English. Originally from Argentina, Alejandro lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.