I Should Be Proud

Missed it - the radio programme that is.
Caught a trailer - Martha Reeves just talking.
I Should Be Proud: black men in black bin bags.
Yes, in the killing fields of Vietnam.

Debate about global warming cools down.
A cliche down, another comes around.
(got to do a few things here - so if you have
some ideas for this bit, do feel free)

Funny, wife being black, doing the ironing.
We were passing comments on the steam iron,
one of the latest sorts it seems. You can
even iron hanging curtains with it. Well,
when questioned on this the answer was "No".

Then the phone went, a black cousin, telling
how an art teacher at a staff meeting
offered a display of, erm, gollywogs.
A mother of two mixed-race adopted kids.

Claiming devil's advocate I wondered
was she trying to provoke honest debate?
Did this parallel using "nigger"?
A burst of steam from the iron left a doubt.

Which is best? A "wog" in the face
or a job application in the bin
with boxes all ticked and satisfied grin?

I'm glad I'm not in a black plastic bag.
Not a dead hunk of flesh from Vietnam.
I don't dream of hugs in Guantanamo,
or wait for that Big Bang in Iraq.

Nice one, Martha.
Be proud.