Songs for Civilians

"I don't know, soldier,
why you think I hate you,
If we're the same,
you and I."
—Nicolás Guillén

The following poems are answers, in the voice of a goon, not
to the beautiful and apt poem of Nicolás Guillén, but to those
who use it for impossible communications, over and above the
standards of reality, mother and mistress of poetry, contriver of
its efficacy and limitations.

I
"If you don't know, Civilian,
why I think you hate me
I'm not going to be the one who,
to draw you out of ignorance,
(or a lack of perception
that would win the world championship)
starts confessing
so very many of my crimes
that (word of honor) I assumed were known."

II
"And as you say you and I
are the same
I say it's good you said that
as long as it doesn't go to your head
as long as you stay where you belong
calm calm and without winking.
Even though you say we're equal
you should remember there are
some men more equal than others
and that we have size and guns enough
to give hell to those who want to walk as equals
equaling their equality of shit
with the great equality of us who are
more equal than anyone."

III and IV
(Variants)
You and I are the same, Civilian?
You're gonna pay dearly for that insult right now!

You don't know why I think you hate me?
Don't know or don't want to say?
Right now I'll refresh your memory
with this electric prod to your testicles!