To Mr. R.

You told your
8th grade class one time,
Your piece or peace of mind...
That you enjoyed Asian history because
"Armies of people who look the SAME
were fighting over land and stuff."
Huh.

Armies of people who look the same.

So can I write you an essay
Displaying the trivialities between
The Blue and the Grey, lying so serene
On blood-stained green grass
As brother fought against brother
Never wondering what they meant to each other...
Because they were
Armies of people who look the same?

So may I write you a love song
Demeaning the virtues and vices,
The literary devices never touching
on Montague or Capulet,
Because Romeo & Juliet
Were from families
who looked the same?

So tell me why
You thought it was fine,
That it was okay
To talk about armies that all looked the same.
To tell young minds
Who might actually mind
And have been told
"You all look the same."
...Why did you think it was okay?

I remember only
Hot flush and swallowed words,
Anger, hoping I hadn't heard
A teacher, a teacher
Say it so clear
Saying it, saying it near,

"Armies of people who all looked the same."

You were a good teacher,
You still are, I know.
You joined for the right reasons,
To teach and grow generations
& I remember you joined after 9/11
To break stereotypes, to investigate hype.

You were a good teacher,
So you probably know
I can't figure out why
You settled to say,
That one fine day,

That vicious, ugly thing.

"Armies of people who all looked the same."

"Peace begins with you and me."