THE FEAR OF FORCEPS AND FUTURE SUTURES
(a profile, for the 50th Anniversary of Dr. King’s Death)

a man who had just finished eating
fried chicken and catfish with his
brother and pillow
fighting with his partners
laughing and laughing unwound
blowing off steam before
unrolling sleeves tightening tie
coating and masking and getting back
to the work of trying to remove
the bullet from america’s skull

has just been told by america
that america dont think he no doctor
that america feels fine
that america hasn’t noticed the blood
in its own eye