Temporary Sightlessness

Oh nameless history without beginning or end
you who can’t remember to forget.

Your neck turns when you hear my approach.
I see you, can you see me

The Ku Klux Klanners moan
when they see your headdress

They notice the likeness though the meanings
are crossed and crumpled

Blindness can be a virtue once you
refuse to turn back

I sense you are calm. I sense your eyes
burning through paper

Against all odds you forge ahead
not knowing, knowing all

Your hat intact, filled with headlines
of the day, adverts of escapism

You wear no robes, no jewelry, but
so clearly your arms are crossed

What happens next is hidden and unknowable
yet you stand, a calm gesture of defiance

You are not going anywhere
yet you proudly persist –

as it must be lest your curiosity stalls
If they cover your ears, say nothing