Meet Francisco, an 18-year-old,
Born right here in the good ol' U.S.
Police held him in custody
For twenty-six days nevertheless.

Detention centers are certainly not
Five-star hotels in any form.
Frigid and crowded cages or rooms
And inhumane treatment are more the norm.

Francisco had his social security
Card and ID in order to prove
That he was really a U.S. citizen.
Border police still made their move.

Although someone spends many years
Elsewhere, our legal apparatus
Has to know that doing that
Doesn't change one's citizenship status.

They claimed that Francisco's identification
Information all was fake.
Of course, they have to find excuses
To cover up their big mistake.

Such "mistakes" are fairly common
When we have a president who
Says that what is true is false;
What is false, he claims is true.

Most people see through his dangerous lies,
But there are many who want to believe
Every word he says that offers
Support to ideas to which they cleave.

Stop atrocities at our border!
Stop treating people in ways
That NO human being should be treated!
Stop the processing delays!

Stop family separation
And caging asylum seekers as well,
As though to get even with them
Their lives are made a living hell!

How many more "Franciscos" are there
Who don't even make the news?
Whom will the president now attack?
Who is next on his list to abuse?

-by Bob B (7-28-19)