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