I arrived an alien now.
In a different culture,
will I lack nurture or admittance? I don’t share
religion, rites, in spite of rights with you.
My language languishing as a body of language.
My posture’s particular and off-putting to yours.
Still scores of words, my tongue tastes them all,
weird as you.
My admission? I refuse to admit that I am starved
for refuge.
About the Poem
I have been following the latest news about immigration and President Biden’s Visit to Mexico.
About the Author
Lynne Kemen lives in Upstate New York. Her chapbook, More Than a Handful was published in 2020. Her work is anthologized in Seeing Things (2020) and several others. She is published in Silver Birch Press, The Ravens Perch, Fresh Words Magazine, Spillwords, Topical Poetry, Lothlorien Poetry Journal, and Blue Mountain Review. Lynne stands on the Board of Bright Hill Press. She is an Editor for the Blue Mountain Review and a lifetime member of The Southern Collective Experience. Her book of poetry will be published in 2023 by SCE.