Hard to Take
Luci Tapahonso
Introduction
This poem is about prejudice--and how tiring and exhausting it can be to be treated as "different" all the time.
Hard to Take
- Sometimes
this middle of the road business
is hard to take.
- Last week in Gallup,
I was in line at Foodway
one checkstand open and
a long line of Navajos waiting
money and foodstamps in hand
waiting to buy food and pop.
- My turn and I fumble
dropping the change
Sorry, I say, sorry
The cashier looks up smiling
first smile in 20 minutes of Navajo customers
Oh--that's okay. Are you Navajo?
I swear, you don't have an accent at all!
- She's friendly too quick and I am uneasy.
I say to the people behind me
Ha' 'at'ii sha'ni?
Why is she saying that to me?
We laugh a little under our breaths
and with that
I am another Navajo
she doesn't greet or thank.
- My change is dropped in front of me
and we are not surprised by that.
- Merle Norman offers a free make-up job
just the thing for a new look
I say to myself and stop in
for an appointment.
For 15 minutes, I wait for a saleslady
then I ask for an appointment outright.
Just a moment, she says,
someone will be with you shortly.
- I wait some more while the salesladies
talk about a great hairdresser,
General Hospital and Liz Taylor.
- So I just leave, shortly is too long,
seeing as I'm the only customer in the place.
-
I guess I can do without a new look
but this kind of business
sure gets hard to take.
From Seasonal Woman by Luci Tapahonso, Tooth of Time Books.
© 1982 Luci Tapahonso
Extension
Pair this poem up with other poems that deal with prejudice. For example, "Sugar" by Pat Mora or "Waiting At the Railroad Cafe" by Janet Wong.
Module five focuses on multicultural poetry. Selected poems are as follows: