(x = space)
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Indian Summer
(in 2020)
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It’s hot now
In the Northeast, and it’s
November
I recall something called
Indian Summer to explain
It
I don’t know if
That’s an offensive reference
I always thought that
It spoke to knowledge that
Native Americans had that
Those of us who only
Knew suburbia
Did not have,
Could not
Maybe not a secret knowledge
But a close knowledge of the land
And all the agencies
Of nature
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I could look it up
But today some Republicans are
Fighting the results of elections
That were won by millions
And their surrogates
(where applicable)
And I’m worn out over biases,
Even though they tell us who
We are on a good day
Without the evil platform
Others try to make of them,
One side or another
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So I’ll keep the second summer
For a little while,
Get smarter tomorrow
Issue apologies, if need be
My bias, by the way,
Is for a return
To chilly autumn
And wanting to believe
In election
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coda
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Okay, I looked it up
It is a term applied
By colonizers
(so is evident)
But so is Indian
That, I must admit, even
As a child seemed odd
To me:
Once the mistake
Columbus and the Europeans
Made was understood,
Why didn’t we change
The term?
And here’s a thought—we didn’t we
Ask them?
And why don’t we now?
They’ve got a term
An understanding
They refer to all of themselves
As “the people”
(translating and transcribing)
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We the people,
Fancy that
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C L Couch
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Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
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