Fortunato Salazar: Good Was Done

In Hill Country we raise a welt, we bring it home;
not a good look despite all righteousness
plus all day long it stares us in the face, home

says you did good you lifted the flat
of your hand against injustice or at least
endangerment; saved our skin, laid out flat

we were only shaken & had done our small
part in the cause of making known our rights.
Small price to pay for making known our right

not to be flattened. Laid out flat but dusted
ourselves off & the way back was all downhill.
Natural history of a badge we bring back from Hill

Country. It stares us in the face we stare right
back, it boasts of righteousness we lose rights
it says what good are rights hand flattened

in a pocket? Home free, the hand, righteous,
rebarbative, badgering about righteousness,
grousing day & night grows into its boast.
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