Best Undocumented Poems


An Excavation

Children as young as three years old,
    Killed for not doing as they’re told,
    Forced to forget their culture bold,
What a tragedy to unfold!

Two hundred fifteen, that ain’t less,
    Young innocents abused, suppressed,
    How can humans be so heartless?
It breaks my heart, I must confess,

Wonder, how they would have pleaded?
    Their cries for mercy unheeded
    Residential schools, not needed,
Were soon closed, but lives conceded,

In the name of education,
    A way of ‘assimilation’,
    Native kids faced termination,
What a gruesome excavation!



07.01.2021


 
{On 28 May, 2021, the bodies of 215 children were discovered in a burial site at the grounds of the Kamloops Indian Residential School using new, ground-penetrating technology. The deaths are believed to be undocumented.  The school, which was closed in the late 1970s, is located in Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation. First Nations refer to a section of indigenous inhabitants of Canada, along with Inuits and Métis people.

Between 1831 and 1996, Canada’s residential school system forcibly separated more than 1.5 lakh First Nations children from their families in order to assimilate them into the Euro-Canadian and Christian ways of living. They were forbidden to acknowledge their indigenous heritage and culture or to speak their own languages.

According to an information resource set up by the University of British Columbia, children were subjected to physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological abuse. 

In 2008, then Prime Minister Stephen Harper publicly issued an apology, on behalf of the Government of Canada, to all indigenous people acknowledging the country’s role in the residential school system.}





For Edward Ibeh's "This or That, Vol 4" contest

Premium Member American Liberties

Freedom isn't Free
                       It comes with the price of Responsibility.

           American citizens are born with the inalienable right 
                         To peaceably assemble, to petition
                Their grievances, their aversions, their plights.

                                    Freedom isn't Free
                        It comes with the price of Responsibility.

                     Marching and rioting; with causes so deep;
                  Hubris and anger taking the charge, engaging
           In destruction, threatening the welfare of the public at large.

                                   Freedom isn't Free
                        It comes with the price of Responsibility.

                     Women's rights, undocumented immigrants,
                 The racial divide and global affairs their major concerns;
               Heightened by the outcome of this unprecedented election,
                    Propelling feckless tactics and undue aggression.

                                   Freedom isn't Free
                       It comes with the price of Responsibility.

        Celebrities jumping on board; rallying with acrid voices,repudiating calm
                          resolution for revolt and revolution.
        What have they accomplished, what have they done; tarnished the
                  credibility of voices that should peacefully be sung.

                                  Freedom isn't Free
                        It comes with the price of Responsibility.




            February 20, 2017

Premium Member Real Eyes See

I realize

I have real eyes

That see real lies—

     ~Nearsighted
          (rule of law)

     ~Farsighted
          (rule of lies)

     ~The "ayes" have it
          (hidden agenda)

     ~The "ayes" have it
          (secret addenda)

     ~The "ayes" have it
          (hate crimes)

     ~The "ayes" have it
          (critical times)

     ~Unmitigated truth
          (entombed)

     ~Undocumented lies
          (exhumed)

I realize

I have real eyes

That see real lies—

     ~As the world cries





***
12/13/2019

Photo "Imposter" by Gabriela Ferreira on flickr
© Mark Toney  Create an image from this poem.


Premium Member Justice For All

time marches on
reality's fire consumes—
dreams go up in smoke

Dishonest weights, deceptive scales forsake
as chains of injustice rake the flesh
of the preyed-upon bleeding, amid wild
wolves feeding, soft sheep bleating,
protestor's pleading, jurisdictions cheating,
cajoling, wheedling, injustice repeating—
jurisprudence at the confluence
of affluence and influence

~undocumented lies exhumed
     unmitigated truth entombed~

They have their thumb on the scale!  We
have sussed every detail on the field of
debris, some so fiercely taking a knee,
others shot trying to flee!  "I can't breathe,"
"I don't care!"  Why don't they care?
Of what justice is meting beware!
One higher than the highest is watching,
waiting to signal the one riding to conquer
and complete his conquest.  What's the true
future view?  What more can we do
before we become past tense?

tragedies worldwide
flooding my senses daily—
fill my bag of tears
© Mark Toney  Create an image from this poem.

Premium Member America Is Not a Free Buffet

America is not a Free Buffet
Loch David Crane, M. Ed.
Border Patrol Auxiliary
22 September 2008

America is not a free buffet
for benefit of those from far away.
We have our borders, customs, laws, and rules
securing our posterity from fools,
criminals, diseased people, and those
who mean us harm and carry bombs.
Malaria and leprosy are brought
by the undocumented who aren't caught.
The dumb, the desperate, or the diseased,
those lacking skills and schooling from "back home,"
all feel entitled through our fence to roam.
They break in here, and that's why we're displeased.
	But those who choose to come here legally
	have done it right,   deserving to be free.

Premium Member The San Antonio Night Crossing

“... The closeness of the place and the heat of the climate, 
        added to the number in the ship which was so crowded 
        that each had scarcely room to turn himself,  almost 
         suffocated us."
				
	   Olaudah Equiano, freed slave, abolitionist, merchant (1745-1797)




We were taken in by roundup- 
legends of freedom, sold
heirlooms to pay for the privilege of being 
crammed into a tractor-trailer like green-
ware into a kiln.  The youngest 
faithfully lifted her chin, Quinceañera 
memories still fresh enough to almost keep 
her balanced within that shifty, 
blistering dark until she felt 

another sharp shaft of air, a searing blast

of a bone-dry wheeze from the next pilgrim to hit 
hot metal like he’d been shot in the head.
The chant began again, Santa María, 
Madre de Dios, ruega por nosotros
pecadores. Sweat stung our opened eyes, 
clarified visions of diaspora, of coldblooded
coyotes packing cargo holds with cornered chattel. 
We, the many, shackled by migrant irons. We,
a crop of people, survive only to swelter later 
in tobacco rows, on countless estates, behind thick shop doors,

but each Day of the Dead, we will recount:

Mexicans lost to a hardened 
geography where even breath is branded, 
an absence of just one half-mast flag, anywhere, their star-
crossed national anthem, our  costly escape 
into undocumented slavery, how long-
suffering dreams either suffocate or hide 
scars, why wheeled sloops blaze down border 
highways with short-lived payloads, scammed commodities
as expendable as a shipment of spring lambs ...


Premium Member One Night Show

He had concubines
He had call girls of curls and of wool
He had gigantic heart and tender soul
He had had desire for his nurse
He had witch hazel blending with his kisses
He had invited comfort and joy to partake
He had hunger beyond measure
He had his menu spread out before him
He had an ear for foreign music
He had the nerve to eat and become gluttony
He had licked clean the plateau of plenty
He had had dinner, desert, and adoration
He had keen understanding of a woman
He had stood seven feet tall, yet silent
He had puppy dog eyes with tears when I left
He had gazillion stories undocumented.

*

Everyone Is Part of a Whole

What's the fault of the children
Born from the undocumented parents
They have rights to be registered
Where they were born and live
The rights are not limited
Not even those who are documented
They are the citizens of the world

Why can't they be accommodated
Even simply for a birth certificate
What is important they become "legal"
Although there are no "illegal migrants"
What happen to the system
Let's "get everyone in the picture".
Because everyone is part of a whole!


The Palace Hotel, Kota Kinabalu
241115. 9:52AM
© Neldy Jolo  Create an image from this poem.

Looters Is Such a Judgmental Term

By Elton Camp

Oh my, supplies are running low
On another “shopping” trip they go

Give the front windows a smash
Then it’s snatch, grab and dash

The store owner’s a man they know
It’s a place where they regularly go

His means of living to destroy
They act like they much enjoy

Employee jobs may well disappear
The store won’t reopen, they hear

Yet, they’re doing what they should 
Destroying their own neighborhood

Getting due revenge on a rogue cop
To unjustified violence, putting a stop

This is the very way to do it
So they will hop right to it

Who dares to call it greed
Just to take what they need

Thus, these “undocumented shoppers”
Serve warning to those racist coppers
© Elton Camp  Create an image from this poem.

Becoming American

We have always been a nation of immigrants,
Yet immigrants cause us to divide.
Newcomers are welcome when legitimate
For their energy, talents and pride.

To many besides the undocumented
Break our laws despite what they say.
As the anxious by the thousands
Pour over our borders each day.

The absolute one way to bring America to ruin
Is to let it become a clash of nationalities.
Even now as we argue and debate
We’re ignoring our long-term realities.

It’s time to bring back the melting pot
Or at least an updated application.
For one and all to assimilate and embrace
The laws that sustain our nation.

Everyone must learn about America’s heritage
Our democratic principles and freedom of choice.
All must be taught the values by which  we’re defined 
And English both printed word and voice.

We can volunteer to teach English to immigrants
And invite them to our church, synagogue or home.
What each of us does can make a difference
As the seeds of our culture are sown.
© Tom Zart  Create an image from this poem.

Premium Member The Elderly Man and His Speach

The elderly man we call leader
Would shout as if our ears couldn't hear,
Then whisper with the expectation 
We would agree to adhere to his
Foreign invasion~
Ten million strong from every nation.

Who was that girl, he could barely recall,
But he finally did (mis)speak her name 
Because it wasn't on the teleprompter,
Neither was the word "illegal" 
and his mob soon let him know 
the word he should use is "undocumented."

The cities are crying blue tears and repenting,
Their citizens are no longer pretending 
That all is peace and joy and love;
Our children are kicked out of school 
To make room for all the illegal immigrant poor,
After all don't we owe them the American dream?

I am, you know, adamantly* against illegal immigration. ~Hillary Clinton

We simply cannot allow people to pour into the United States undetected, undocumented, unchecked, and circumventing the line of people who are waiting patiently, diligently, and lawfully to become immigrants in this country. ~Barack Obama 

The issues surrounding illegal immigration are wide-ranging and complex, but there is no question about the need to secure our borders. ~Roger Wicker

I have fought on the front lines to prevent illegal immigration. I know Donald Trump will stand with me and countless Americans to secure our border. ~Joe Arpaio

*adamantly(adverb): a way that suggests one will not be persuaded to change one's mind; firmly and resolutely.

Undocumented Warrior

Undocumented Warrior

By George W. Clever-----2002

I sneaked into this country on moccasin feet
No one knew I was here
Till one day someone asked 
Where is your C.D.I.B. card?			
Putting on my best stoic mask I said
Do I need one to buy my beer?
Smart ass! 

“You need one to prove you are a “skin”
A “red man”, “Indian ”, “Chief” 
Feds will decide if you are a blanket man
You do look a little tan
Perhaps as an Italian, Porto Rican, Chicano 		
You could pass.”
My Grandmother said that too

Will I need a card to paint my face?
Straight dance with some grace
Or two step and stomp dance
In my buckskin pants

“B.I.A. will approve your case
Just send the documents of your worth
Ancestors listed on the Dawes rolls 
DNA, Bible lists, Parent’s place of birth.”
I think Lenape people in the past
Never wrote on things that last
School told us they could neither read nor write
X marks on the treaties lead to many a fight
						Sign your name or make a mark 
						Sold our land your birth right for a start
						No vote for you 
						No office holder 
						No property deed 
						Land thieves got bolder and bolder
The PA “Stay Behinds” got together
Declared an Eastern Lenape Nation
Used their sovereign right 
Approve my application 
Now my card says EDN Lenape man #3405  

Do you think the Feds with DNA tests and C.D.I.B. cards will tattoo us like the Jews?

Pre-Tax Paradise, Post-Tax Hell

a super-clever superman imagined
he would be so much better off
somewhere else...
where lush grass is customary greener
so he did the CBA -- cost and benefits
the calculation outcome was astonishing
so he decided to move -- fly to Paradise
in relentless pursuit of (selfish) happiness
no undocumented war or economic refugee
but pure and simply "gaiety migration"
however, he overlooked, disregarded tax pressure
when he, at last, reconciled the fiscal migraine in the CBA
guess what, 125% of the offshore taxes, a quarter more 
than all transit pre-tax profits, were instantly wiped
off the face of mother Earth -- no more smiley
the grim taxman delta chanced the risk profile
altogether, and made him change his calculated mind
eliciting prevention of formidable asset-destruction

ah! the elusive benefits of whimsical transformation
it was but a dream -- A lipstick on a pig exercise
how joyfully superman is looking forward
to STAY PUT in present post-tax paradise
bon voyage, Mon'Amie

ah! yes – merci beaucoup

Everyone Is Part of a Whole

What's the fault of the children
Born from the undocumented parents
They have rights to be registered
Where they were born and live.

The rights are not limited
Not even those who are documented
They are the citizens of the world
Why can't they be accommodated
Even simply for a birth certificate.

What is important they become "legal"
Although there are no "illegal migrants"
What happen to the system
Let's "get everyone in the picture"
Because everyone is part of a whole!


I love you peace. Let's sail together. Layag Sug!

?#?get_everyone_in_the_picture?

The Palace. 24.11.15.9:52AM
© Neldy Jolo  Create an image from this poem.

Crime Committed With Use of a Weapon

The more weapons there will be:
the more likely a crime will be committed using one;
the lower their SES (socio-economic status) will be;
the lower their intelligence level will be;
the more likely they are be mentally and emotionally incompetent;
the more likely they are to have a persecution complex;
excessive defense mechanisms, experience mass paranoia,
be mentally incompetent or imbalanced, be an increase in suicides;
the more likely a woman will be killed or injured;
the more likely accessories will increase weapons effectiveness and rapidity;
the more likely they will be automatic designed to commit mass murder with;
the more likely principles stated in the 2d amendment will be violated;
the more likely the victim and killer will be from the United States;
the more likely the killer will exhaust their supply of ammunition;
the more likely a weapon will be used in  an altercation;
the more likely there will be an accidental gun death;
the more likely will be the absence of an effective weapons training program;
the more likely safety devices will not be present;
the more likely an accidental death will occur at home;
the more likely owners of weapons will encourage weapons safety programs;
the more likely no local files or background security checkups exist;
the more likely will be absence of  cool down period for purchase of weapons;
the more likely will be an undocumented weapons sales;
the more likely will be increase in amount of money to support damages;
the more likely a potential murderer is to steal a weapon;
the more likely a weapon will not be used for self-defense;
the more likely a woman will be present in a domestic abuse situation;
the more likely increase in deaths will be created and caused by a weapon;
the more likely will be the absence of a successful permitting process;
the more likely will be the presence of a negative stimulus.

Trying to make up my mind regarding weapons.
© James Horn  Create an image from this poem.

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