White Papers [45]

Martha Collins

although my father although

my mother although we rarely

although we whispered

although the silence although

the absence although even now

some TV books not to mention

radio websites new militias hate

groups raging against our socialist-

communist-fascist although but still:

our textbooks now our museums

mostly our college literature

courses even our crayons not

to mention our young president

who could scarcely have been

imagined when we when I—

and although I've gone back

and filled in some blanks

I'm still learning this un-

learning untying

the knot of Yes but re-

writing this    Yes   Yes