When art and politics are mixed just right it’s a pretty incredible experience. I’ve not read this poet before, but she sure got my attention with the following verse.<\/p>\n
False Documents They ran the numbers twice for you
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\ngiving you the benefit of the doubt
\nbut you knew the computer at the other
\nend of the officer\u2019s PDA <\/span>would not find
\nyour brown number in its little black index.
\nYou drove exactly one mile per hour below the speed
\nlimit. You buckled your baby into his car seat according
\nto instructions. You signaled for exactly three seconds
\nbefore you turned left. You wanted to hide the Subway wrappers,
\nthe empty box of Orbitz gum. Evidence of Big Macs.
\nYou wanted to drink the Mountain Dew before it turned toxic
\nin the hot Phoenix sun as you asked, doesn\u2019t this green
\nsludge make me American enough? But you didn\u2019t
\nmove because you knew the officer would have taken
\nthat for gun-finding or drug-hiding or some other supposed
\nMexican sport. You with your hands at ten and two
\nwondered how long the bus ride the officer would take you
\non would last and whether they would provide any water.
\nYou wondered, as the officer put hand to holster,
\nhow dangerous it would be to down that Mountain
\nDew then and there, in the wide-open American air.<\/p>\n