The Obama Serenades XIX
My Mother's Brother's Son
Today,
over crystal mugs
of beer,
you will broach
America's greatest
taboo;
today,
over roast beef
and potato chips,
two men and
a serpent
shall stir
the hornet's
nest…
I wish
the main course
were ripe
chili peppers
and alligator soup,
for it is an affair
of our badly
battered
national soul,
though the serpent
insists
against reason
it is all
about himself
and his fame
and fortune;
I wish
I could
concur
with the crook,
but heaven
is of greater
moment
to my soul…
today,
over beer,
roast-beef
and potato chips,
America's
original sin
will be mulled;
I am glad
I won't be there,
I am glad
I can't be there,
with prejudice
chocking truth
and past pains
preempting
the facts,
it's all too
predictable
nothing of heft
or moment
shall transpire,
save,
of course,
the ego-soothing
of a prodigal
brat…
son of my
mother's brother,
beware
of the company
you keep,
for all smiles
aren't about
friendship
or goodwill;
and remember
poor choice of
friendship
it was
that cost
the crab
its head…
son of my
mother's brother,
get this straight
once and
for all:
a burglar is
a burglar is
a burglar,
regardless
of time
and
place…
son of my
mother's brother,
beware
of the company
you keep,
the friendship
you publicly
profess,
for some friendships
are healing
while others are
killer cops…
a couple
of beers,
an image
smudged;
son of my
mother's brother,
beware of
the company
you keep…
7/30/09
By Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr.
Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., PhD, taught Print Journalism at Nassau Community College of the State University of New York, Garden City, for more than 20 years. He is also a former Book Review Editor of The New York Amsterdam News.
Disclaimer: "The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect ModernGhana official position. ModernGhana will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements in the contributions or columns here."