January 10, 2007
The Rattlesnake and Scorpionby Ruth Yoshiko Okimoto
Said the Scorpion to the Rattlesnake,
"What manner of commotion is happening here?
The sawing of lumber and pounding of nails,
black tarpaper falls and covers my trail.
Tall fence posts pierce deep into the ground
securing chainlink fences and barbed wire from town."Said the Rattlesnake to the Scorpion,
"Indeed, huge pipes obstruct and crisscross my path,
and loud swishing noises disturb my sleep.
Why, I went foraging for food and found
my favorite hunting ground vanished today
and more will dwindle, I've heard them say."Said the Scorpion to the Rattlesnake,
"And worse even yet, small human fingers foolishly grab
my sisters, brothers, cousins, and all,
and drown them in jars filled with alcohol."
"How foolish, indeed," replied the Rattlesnake,
"Don't they know of your sting, my venomous bite?"Said the Scorpion to the Rattlesnake,
"What kind of human would dare intrude into our sacred place?
We've lived on this land for centuries, I'm told,
so, why do they come here to ravage and destroy?
We've lived in peace, both you and I,
with no intent to hurt or annoy."Said the Rattlesnake to the Scorpion,
"Some humans, I'm told, regard those who differ in skin
or thought with what they call 'justifiable' hate."
"As you know," continued the Rattlesnake,
"humans are the most dangerous animal of all;
they kill with lethal weapons ten feet tall."Asked the Scorpion of the Rattlesnake,
"So what do you think they are building here,
in the midst of our desert home?"
Answered the Rattlesnake with a somber voice,
"It's something menacing, and I fear
portend of dangers yet unclear."
[This poem was written in 1942, while Okimoto was interned at Poston Relocation Center, Arizona.]
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Posted by: will at January 10, 2007 07:19 PM (h7Ciu)
Posted by: annika at January 10, 2007 08:02 PM (1EshY)
Posted by: will at January 10, 2007 08:54 PM (h7Ciu)
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