Where Am I From? Poem by Smack Thompson

I'm from the dreary streets stinking
of Pike's Street fish
back alleys you don't
want to wander
down because you're afraid one
of us
is covered
in poverty
induced
syndromes
or we'll try to cut your throat/
or inconvenience you with a request for a meal


From the desert battlefields with oil fires
a made up enemy and some
depleted
uranium
syndromes
passed on to us
a test run for another war a few terms later

From the poorest of the poor reservations
where our bravest warriors
and spiritual healers could not stop
infested
blanket
syndromes
and the greed
of railroads and B lack Hills gold
and racist settlers are still mad when they see
our dancers in rainbow covered regalia
and our sweat lodges ceremonies cleansing our people

Where am I from?
I'm from the womb of mother earth
after getting passed around
by Uncle Sam and his friends