Self-Conscious Bigot

He was a very considerate bigot,
never wanting anyone of color
to think ill of him.
Always shielding his contempt
from foreigners,
only exposing it to white folk.
I'll never forget the day
he asked, "Wanna see my new can-gun?"
Powerful for aluminium!
"It's for Afr-I-CANS,
Puerto-RI-CANS, and
Mex-I-CANS!" he told me.
A coward really.
Once I saw him a give box
of candy to our Black postman,
proudly announcing,
"In rememberance of my Savior's
birth."
One Thanksgiving, I met his wife's
Latina grandmother, he helped the
woman from her car with great affection.
Yes, my neighbor was a confused
soul. His spigot of hatred
had a slow, internal leak,
fatal only to the bigot himself.
All-in-all,
my favorite hypocrite.

--Shenandoah Lynd