Contra

Hate me if you want.
Get mad that I am different
That I came from some other place
That I look and sound separate from you.

Shake the bars of your mind
Or stomp your feet and yell
But don't expect me to leave
Or even shut my mouth.

I would like nothing better than
To use your words against you
To make you upset and confused
and look like a fool in front of whoever is handy.

Perhaps that is too much to ask.
If nothing else, I am contra.
I stand to juxtapose you and let others know
You're not as smart as you think you are.

I don't need you or anyone else to agree with me.
I don't need to be right all the time.
On the contrary, there is rarely only one answer
And I want you to admit it.

The New Colossus

Was that a lie? Do people still believe that?
If slanted politics make my home unsafe for me, is there anywhere I can go?
Is there no place on the surface of existence where I can earn a living
and not be held responsible for sins of generations past?
If I agree to abide by the golden rule and obey basic laws, why am I not welcome?
If I pay my way and adopt your culture, your customs, your language, what then?
If I walk here for days through the desert just to shop in your stores and clean your plates,
Will you not let me stay?