No Harm Done

Dec 8 2011

The well-kept distance

averted glance.

Malicious whispers

snickering laughs.

Moms shield kids

herding them past,

or cross the street

and never look back.

Refused food, service, gas,

graffiti-tagged

and broken glass.

Even their trash

went uncollected.

Until it came to talk

of burning crosses

brake lines cut.

From objects of fun

to vandalized, shunned

run out-of-town.

Rumour was

they were carriers.

Some virus, or bug

but wouldn’t succumb themselves.

Or was it some vile idea

that could subvert the good people

of this God-fearing town?

We’re entitled to protect ourselves, after all.

So we resented being presented

as credulous peasants

armed with pitchfork, and torch,

fire-breathing preachers

exhorting us on.

I mean, who’s the underdog here

who’s been wronged?

In the end, they left on their own

no harm done.

So now, we can let out our daughters

after dark

disarm our sons.

Thank God

we were spared

from who knows what.