The
Anatomy of RacismThe
Anatomy of Racism
Embedded
In the mollusk's soft parts,
The tiny grain of sand
Sticks.
The gritty intrusion
Is insidious.
In defense,
The mollusk
Works itself
To surround
The irritant,
Forming smooth,
Lustrous deposits
Around the granular
Particle.
Pearlers dive
For the nacreous surprise
Nestled in velvety folds.
The tiny grain of sand
Found its own way
Into the ridged lips
Of the mollusk.
The hard glint
In bright young eyes
Had help.
It started
With the intrusion
Of "nigger"
Blended with "Now I
Lay me downs,"
Insidious
As the grain
Of sand stuck deep
In the mollusk's soft parts.
Its lacy tentacles
Flare and grasp
Behind the guileless
Blue-eyed gaze.
This pearl
Is coded
Only to metastasize.
©Katherine M. Searle
searlek@mail.davenport.k12.ia.us