The Invisible Hand
Father, into thy hands, I commend my spirit
hand-mirror to face, broken glass altar
fountain pen in the hand of stranger
another face looking back at me
you: struggling to draw your own complications
draw skin into decipherable complexion
look at yourself
giving into submission
a dream of assimilation
a scheme of their land
became a refurbished product
lobotomized, became their marked-up
price, commodity for the gods.
are you ready to be shipped out?
dumped out after graduation
instead of fighting back
you caved into their promised security
traded self-respect for safety, imagine that pull
a rough hand at your back
remember when rebellion was repression
or was it both or neither, how does the fire
feel, an obedient twig for the kindling?
they welcome you into their abattoir
hugging you and holding a match
striking it all the way down your spine.
~Shawn Anto
Shawn Anto is from Delano, California. He’s originally from Kerala, India. He currently studies at Cal State Bakersfield looking to receive his B.A. in English & Theatre. He was last seen on stage in Dreamers: Aqui y Alla. Past theatre credits include The Profane, “Gasoline”, and SubUrbia. His writing has been featured or are forthcoming in Reed Magazine, O:JA&L, Genre: Urban Arts, Mojave Heart Review, and elsewhere. He currently lives in Bakersfield with his mini-rex rabbit, Elio.