Ticks in Burning Boxes

They walk with no shoes
Through the Mississippi mud
Of their national pride
Past the sweatshop pyre
Burning with the weakness
Of their rage
This cowards bonfire
Smokes with the ghosts
Of the enslaved

The bullet headed put
Ticks in burning boxes
On voting forms
Their burning crosses
As in the red zone
The ineligible
Information receiver
Cuts off his own jock-strap
To spite his face

They want to talk about
Fought and died
They should
Look to the other side
Where with heads held high
Not fought under stars and stripes
People died trying
Equally qualify

Look to the other side
You see me
You'll see many
Taking a stand
Taking a knee
A more powerful
Display of loyalty to our fellow
Than their ad man's wet dream
Of patriotism
Will ever be

© Mark Coverdale

People pointlessly burn their own Nike gear in response to Kaepernick ad

Mark Coverdale Art School Mod Poet. Born in Darlington the year Elvis died. Now in London via Oldham writing and performing socially and politically observational poetry.
Twitter: @cov_art