I also would like to read some more poems that
are a little bit more contemporary not to make Navajo
country songs so perfect.
We do have some situations.
I don't know how many of you seen the movie, The Graduate.
Know how the poor kid always stays behind
and all the rich folks they fly off to Aspen and that
really happens.
When I was at Princeton, everybody
flew to Switzerland and all over the place
and I stayed on the Princeton Res.
So I didn't have much money so I was so happy when they finally
approved to have Burger King there.
So this is a poem.
It's tentatively titled Burger King.
It's a poem in progress.
It's actually a poem written to the younger brother of mine.
Burger King.
When in college, you were number one on my list
not even McDonald's came close.
I didn't know that you would be number one on somebody else's
list and that I would be second.
You're sizzling that day burns my heart and you my younger
brother, how can you choose Burger King over the Golden
dragon.
A visit the town should mean venturing into other cultures
away from Navajo culture, away from common town culture.
Just a taste even a bite can make you grow.
Why do you shelter yourself in the ordinary?
The ordinary that is bringing America to its knees,
the ordinary that stunts people's growth,
the ordinary that allows books to collect dust,
the ordinary that keeps people satisfied by what is good,
the ordinary that knows only dreamless nights,
the ordinary that keeps racism boiling in hatred,
the ordinary that starves children,
the ordinary that breaks family apart,
the ordinary that hates the idea,
therefore the idea of God.
Therefore humanity.
The ordinary that keeps you from me, the ordinary that
doesn't know the brothers love.
All I wanted was Chinese food and burgers
with all you want it.
We ended up eating ourselves, we ended up eating the ordinary,
we ended up eating God, we ended up eating humanity.
Indeed, we ended up well-fed.
In beauty, we have eaten.
In beauty, we will grow.