Tasteful Erasure

By Lexi McDonald

melting pot, so tempting,

watch it mix and blend

but never come to a boil.

the chef said no pepper,

but you can add salt.

it’s easier to swallow.

red, white, and blue

napkins set on the table,

that is this stolen land.

the melting pot is so full

of potent garlic and onion

that oppress other elements.

minorities in the process,

though beautiful depths of

flavor, absorb into the rest.

cumin from the Middle East,

chili peppers from Mexico,

bitter leaf from Nigeria

can’t compare to Native

American sassafras, corn

green beans, and squash.

yes, the melting pot Dawes Act:

assimilate and surrender your

culture to tasteful erasure

because each ingredient,

while different, are all one

under God, indivisible

with liberty and justice

for all, as long as the

melting pot doesn’t

boil over with the

blood of those

that dare stir it.