THE AXE AND KNIFE OF AMERICA

By Tikum Mbah Azonga

I won’t wait
For, why should I as if I was just a kid from Lower Mississippi
I won’t wait for the grass to grow under my feet
Neither will I look back at the Delaware rack
For fear of turning into a pillar of salt
Like Lot’s wife.

Isn’t life already enough of a bait?
Unless you competed for ten hamburgers without a tie?
It would be crazy to go from Texas to Los Angeles by fleet
Because it’s only a short walk with a single track
Hide away your Green Card, unless you’re carrying Virginia’s basalt
Only then will you know whether you wield an axe or a knife.

Copyright 2011