Whose Doing The Respect? Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Whose Doing The Respect?



You were denied a job position,
Because your credit is in a bad condition.
And the report stated you have bills unpaid?
Even though you pay them but slowly.
Did they know you had been unemployed?
And only recently found part-time work.
Although you have a Master's Degree,
That more than qualifies...
What they claim they need and seek first?

'Very few today have a good credit rating report.'

It's not what you know but who you know.
And besides...
How can someone justify you having a poor credit report,
As a reason not to hire you...
When the entire country is indebted trillions of dollars,
To foreigners...
Who probably amongst them,
Have no clue what a Master's Degree is?

'Is it about money, credibility or competence? '

Don't ask me questions like that.
I'm still dealing with hypocrisy, profiling and delusion,
By those who have been sold on division, racism...
And indifference to those who express a kept identity.
And this I get from my own people.

'What do you mean...
Your 'own' people? '

People who were born here,
Declaring themselves to be patriotic.

'Oh.
I thought you meant YOUR people.'

That's exactly what I mean.
If your own people reject you...
But accept to be indebted to foreigners,
Whose doing the respect and to 'whom'?
To have this obviously neglected?
And to 'whom' is this neglect best shown,
With it reflected?

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Veeraiyah Subbulakshmi 17 January 2014

the first two lines are very confusing..what does ones 'credit is in a bad position' do with the job position? unless Lawrence has meant it sarcastically..The naturalized Americans are your brothers and sisters and they will be patriotic to the adapted country as you, immigrants have done..Americas is the new world and it belongs to everyone in the world, after all the natives have been chased out to the south.Cool down..please..

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