a man I know was stopped this week
for walking dogs at dawn
there is no law against that
but good people don't do it
besides he was brown
and had tattoos
a clear and present danger
in a nice neighborhood
you know how to translate that
when I was younger
police would stop me too
if ever I walked across
the Lincoln and Cadillac blocks
that intruded into
our Chevies and Plymouths town
I wasn't brown, but had a ponytail
and beard, wore jeans and
cowboy boots, and so constituted
also a clear and present danger
I was a good example of what
mommies did not want kiddies
to grow up into, so cops would stop me
if I took the short route to a phone booth
not so much if I walked around
the Lincoln and Cadillac blocks
we had phone booths then
a place where Clark Kent might change
into Superman without notice
or we normal people might make a call
in public but in private
I rented an apartment
but did not need a phone
except at evening or at dawn
when I would walk, good people didn't
not anywhere that they could drive
or better yet be driven to
another good example
of bad behavior, walking
and not having a phone
you see, the cops had plenty of reasons
for their suspicions
and do today, there is no law
against being brown or having tattoos
but nice people don't do either
