tutoring on the southside
identities defined by society
broadcasted on media
country folks uninterested
understanding why children
struggle with reading or arithmetic
I was sitting in their house
playing mario brothers
and so many people
walked on by
who’s your white friend
someone asked my girlfriend
and I pretended not to hear
even though there was nothing
wrong with my spanglish
you know I told her
I’d never been on this side of
nineteenth street before
but I feel just as safe here
as I do anywhere else
november two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
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