america: the future - haki madhubuti/poetry

America: The Future
Haki Madhubuti

in a country
where pride is measured
in body counts
a black
school aged boy
pledged
allegiance to the flag
as the words came
he
thought about today's
ball game
& about the
homeruns he would hit
& his special willie mays catch
he didn't remember the flag
until after
he noticed the
cancelled sign on the ball park's gate
that night he asked
his momma:
"momma why the flag got holes in it?"
her reply: