(and "nevah" means “not ever”)
by Regina YC Garcia
Superman would nevah….
pledge allegiance to Lex Luthor
beat down the Tamale Lady
snatch a child from a loving mother
snatch a loving mother from the grasp of a terrified child
cage them strip them from each other
pull them from the light of hope
Superman would nevah….
dump Mr. Terrific from his chair
keep him from accessing his reasonable accommodations
cancel his yearly checkup
lie about his color… his culture… his merit
leave him hungry… emaciated… prey for predators
Superman would nevah….
set fire to non-perishable food
soak the ashes in a blood-soaked ground
willingly hand his red cloak to the enemy that they might cover the eyes of the innocents
and steal their liberty
Superman would nevah….
forget the “Golden Rule”
shut down opportunities
enlist the fools to join a league of injustice
that they might overtake the land
Superman would save the alligators
from the monsters that built shoddy cages and dangled distraught meat from unclean hands
Superman would nevah….
forget where he came from
forget who helped him and loved him
all along the way
forget that we all have a part to play
a part that bends towards justice
redefines the American way
a way that ushers in a prosperity
that ensures we all stay free
and more
and even more
(unnecessary too tall buildings and death waters be damned)
Regina YC Garcia is a national award-winning poet, professor, and language artist from Greenville, NC. She is a twice-nominated Puscart nominee, and her work has been widely published in a variety of journals reviews and anthologies, as well as musical compositions and documentaries. She is the author of two collections of poetry—Whispers from the Multiverse (Aquarius Press/Willow Books, February 2025) and The Firetalker’s Daughter (Finishing Line Press, March 2023).
