In a Dive Bar With Captain America

In a Dive Bar With Captain America

He sipped his Coca Cola

Smiled weakly

Scratched his head

I failed (he whispered)

I’m supposed to be

Bigger

Better

Than this

I’m supposed to stand for

The tired and poor

For the homeless and huddled masses

I’m supposed to be the New Colossus

The guardian of the golden door

Of life

liberty and

the pursuit of happiness

Behind his tired eyes

You can see a kid from Brooklyn

Bullied

Beaten

I’ve seen the faces

Lost

Like they’ve always been

I’ve seen the bodies

Of fascist regimes

But I’ve always

believed/hoped/known

We (America)

Stood for

. . . something

The good old days

Weren’t always good

But they don’t show that on

Television

And no one

Remembers

              ( . . .I do)

His fist clenches as he watches

Some random news coverage

Some death toll

Some protest turned violent

Some stop and frisk gunshot video

Some American on American crime scene

He coughs

Choking on the irony of

ONE NATION UNDER GOD