Naked Arms Poem by The Poet SPIEL

naked arms

they may be hungry
but they are not cold

they learned first
not to be cold
not to wear a coat
because there was no coat

you see them at grunt work
on hiways on rooftops on farms you see
them pushing snow pushing manure
no coat like they are not cold
tho you are freezing everyone is freezing

the old ones survived
the border crossing
determined to tolerate
anything for a penny
just for this opportunity
they could not afford to be cold

their kids' kids' kids still crawl out
from beneath old truckbeds
or plywood lean-tos down at the tracks
to walk to school to learn english
with their faces scrubbed
but without coats with naked arms

you want to say:
are you hungry
are you cold
tho you know they are not cold

if you gave them your coat
they would not wear it
they do not wear coats

bulk beans or rice suffice

but they are not cold

_______by The Poet Spiel