My Name on His Tongue: Poems

browner shades of White

26 browner shades of White under Race/Ethnic Origin I check White I am not a minority on their checklists and they erase me with the red end of a Number Two pencil I go to school quite poor because I am White there is no square to check that I have no camels in my backyard that my father does not have four wives inside the tents of his harem or his palace or the island he bought with his oil money my father is a farmer my mother is a teacher I am White because there is no square for Exotic 27 my husband does not have a machine gun though sometimes his eyes fire anger because while he too is White his borders have long since been smudged by the red end of a Number Two pencil my friend who is Black calls me a Woman-of-Color my mother who is White says I am Caucasian my friend who is Hispanic/Mexican-American understands my dilemma my country that is a democratic melting pot does not ...