by Raymond Nat Turner
If those who rule really wanted kids to be Aces in life, they wouldn't rig the decks.
If ACE Was The Place
Bake sales and raffles are
Fun, yet twisted inversions,
If five-sided operations
Are four part pyramid schemes…
If ACE was the place,
Sole supplier of weapons
For waging “war on terror—”
On the cheap—
Shipper of mirrors and razors
To Warlords of Wall Street and
Washington—mirrors for finding
Terrorists unerringly, and razors
For doing the right thing: surgically
Taking out, sans collateral damage,
Reflections threatening our planet…
If ACE was the place,
Then, maybe, we could develop
Cheryl Wilson Weapons Systems for
Wrapping arms securely around
Children entering the schoolyard,
And spraying them with friendly
Fire, with report resembling praise—
Weapons launching tutors at Ayat,
4th grader from Yemen, instead of
Hellfire Missiles from drones
If ACE was the place…
If ACE was the place,
Then, maybe, we could construct
Jeanette Gearring Weapons Systems for
Spying on students making super choices,
Doing good deeds during the day, and
Automatically charging them with being
Caught In The Act?
If ACE was the place…
If ACE was the place,
Then, maybe, we could assemble
Angelica Perez Weapon Systems for
Plotting strategies for increasing
Jonah’s reading fluency, and
Recognizing the twins, Brooke and
Jasmin, without retina scans?
If ACE was the place…
If ACE was the place,
Then, maybe, we could forge
Juan Zuniga Weapons Systems for
Listening in on conversations in
Angel’s belly, and providing food
With no oil, or strings attached…
If ACE was the place…
If ACE was the place,
Then, maybe, we could manufacture
More weapons of mass instruction
For Farmer Ben and Chef Kathy
For the war on Colonel Sanders,
Popeye, Jack, and Ronald McDonald?
If ACE was the place…
If ACE was the place,
Then, maybe, we could produce the next
Generation of Julie Venuto Weapons for
Launching IEPs, RTIs and other artillery
Supporting Special Forces, armed with
Love and commitment to Janvier, Danny,
Dalia, Sophia, Emeline, Michael and Elijah—
Like teachers Clementina, Chris, Rita, and Sian?
If ACE was the place…
If ACE was the place,
Then, maybe, we could construct
Lorna Cross Weapons Systems for
Coordinating Joint Operations with Henderson’s
4th division in invading San Francisco by BART,
Or Yellow busses, and occupying Mission Dolores
More often?
If ACE was the place…
If ACE was the place,
Then, maybe, we could assemble
Yusef Auletta Weapons Systems for
Graduating, rather than assassinating,
Ayat’s sister, the 5th grader, Mandal
If ACE was the place…
Then, maybe, we could develop
Cheryl Wilson Weapons Systems for
Marshalling ever more extraordinary
Renditions, like Aguas, Argueta and
Aulleta— a few good A’s—
If ACE was the place…
Raymond Nat Turner © 2012 All Rights Reserved
BAR Poet-in-Residence, Raymond Nat Turner, joins us from New York City to talk about his work and an upcoming performance with his group, Upsurge New York City.
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