my Jewish star hangs

beside my “I voted” sticker

against this green blouse

the green of the trees and grasses

and seaweeds that sustain everything

the beautiful green it isn’t easy being

the green of the bitter herb

but also the green of spring

the green of new hope

and also of laughable naivete

the green of the eager immigrant

and the rescued refugee

the green of verdegrised copper

in the harbor

the green of the harbor

I know, those things are all

different greens

but that’s America

and this blouse

with its gold star

and its sticker

contains multitudes of green

it is the green of go

….

from 30 Poems in November!: An anthology of poems to benefit Center for New Americans 2018 edition