OUR LEADERS

SAM SPRING, WESTERN HEMISPHERE, It Ajuma,Autumn, 1984

In Chile they shoved the tattered poor
to the long grave
dug with angry machines

And while

holding automatic weapons upon them
manufactured in the United States of America,
demanded,

"Now. You. Tell us who your leaders are!"

The poor red people wailed with weakened breath,

"Our lesders are need and hunger."

O'America
when you finally force me to kneel at the long grave,
know that my leader is a dream of freedom from American values
and I have agreed with my dream
never to compromise our private
and healthy respect for each other

No matter what the demand
No matter what the threat
No matter what the odds

Sul ma ejote