by Alejandro Escud�
Arpaio sees a cage before the soul
of any brown-skinned man�
There is a god in every racist being,
chimeric fool, derogatory chant.
Arpaio sees a cage before the soul
of any brown-skinned man�
The mind molds prisoners, releases them as well,
fright detracts the willing and the fair.
Arpaio sees a cage before the soul
of any brown-skinned man�
The foreigner beneath a tarp of fear hides
from the sheriff hunting desolate lands.
Arpaio sees a cage before the soul
of any brown-skinned man�
More fascist general than lawman, stink
of Southwest sweat, sunglasses large and dim.
Arpaio sees a cage before the soul
of any brown-skinned man�
I spot the van along the American road,
a hot, disgruntled breeze, no court, and dry as death.
Arpaio sees a cage before the soul
of any brown-skinned man�
I speak, when helpless, in swallowed knives.
Nowhere to run from the people�s armored beast.
Arpaio sees a cage before the soul
of any brown-skinned man.
Alejandro Escud� published his first full-length collection of poems My Earthbound Eye in September 2013. He holds a master�s degree in creative writing from UC Davis and teaches high school English. Originally from Argentina, Alejandro lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.