Immigration brought America its first black president. 

Sitting with this pen between my lips, as dad 
Said not to, I'm twiddling and thinking of 
Tigers looking into a mirror. 

Do they see just the beastly muscle to rip flesh 
Apart, or can they see the black, gold, silver, orange 
Calligraphy of a meadow, plucked to glorious 
Melody like a guzheng serenading the prey 
Before Medusa's magic mars their future? 

Do parrots notice the pale sparrow's envy at 
Its militarily-decorated plumage which holds
Divine discourse with the sun rushing past 
The leaves to caress a masterpiece chirping 
Away under a pale green canopy craving its
Variety splash of colors upon itself? 

Sitting and twiddling this ink, I'm thinking. 
Are "precious" and "scarce" synonymous? 
King Midas turned everything ordinary to something
Now ordinary, and by returning them to their
Ordinary state they became precious. 

Could this be why I now miss the hair I hated to comb
In painful strokes? Or why I would prefer scrolling
My Twitter feed than feeding off my son's glorious 
Imaginary worlds whence crazy stories spring, 
But which I miss, because this is here, that is there? 

Could this be why thrust from misery, to slavery, 
Then to a land of freedom and opportunity whose 
Prowess the paler countries of the world cast 
Envy upon, wishing the variety splash of colors, 
And music, and glory, and gold upon themselves, 
The American from Africa focuses on the "African", 
Missing the "American" in "African American"? 

Could this be why other Africans come to America 
And seeing the plumage, seize the Value in "American" 
Live the American dream walking to Pennsylvania Avenue, 
Saying "Yes we can!": but most Africans don't listen? 

(c) nyonglema