Michael T. Young: Two Poems

Plagiarism, From the Latin
Plagium Meaning “a Kidnapping”

My friend leaned into me,
clapped his hand on my shoulder
and called me a word he paid for
with the color of his skin,
 
and it meant he liked me.
I wanted to be liked
and sent his word back to him.
But from my mouth it cracked
 
like a whip, its leather
braided from the history of my people
enslaving his people,
and we were tossed on a ship
 
crossing the Atlantic in 1619,
and there was no way to unsay
the distance, no passage back,
no way to return what I’d taken.

--


White Privilege
 
 
When you’re not the target
you can ignore the gun. 

--

Copyright 2022 Michael T. Young

Michael T. Young's books include The Infinite Doctrine 
of Water published by Terrapin.