I Will Fight Your Enemies

America, I will fight your enemies I will fight your wars without end Against terrorists, anarchists, arsonists Against rebels, radicals, revolutionaries Against protesters, picketers, marchers Against Levelers, Diggers, Quakers Against spooks, spirits, specters Against the sick who won’t die Against the poor who dare cry Against Ur, Nineveh and Babylon Against the daughters and sons of Man

America, I will fight your enemies I who have seen their faces Red, black, brown and yellow I know where they hide, crouching In the dark corridors of history I know what winds they ride Past the gates of purgatory I know that they rise implacably From the daily dance of dialectics

America, I have seen your enemies I have seen them riding the Nez Perce trail I have seen them rising from Washita I have seen their ghosts at Wounded Knee

America, I have tracked your enemies I have followed their tormented track Through the Gaza of discontent And the West Bank of despair

America, I will defeat your enemies I know where their cohorts hide Still waging their wars against tyrants In the Andes, Chiapas, Omaha

America, I will lead you to your enemies I will lead you to their sacred places America, when I kiss your enemies You will know them by their anointed faces

M. SHAHID ALAM teaches economics at Northeastern University. He can be reached at: m.alam@neu.edu Copyright: M. SHAHID ALAM