The Rattle of Angry Candy

The Rattle of Angry Candy Who cares if U.C. Davis undergrads bravely Take the plunge to Bring About Basic Social Change, and March Bravely into the Admin Building And even up the stairs? Neither ee cummings' Cambridge Ladies Nor I give a damn if these Privileged Few Are forced to give up water polo, But some brave few, feeling Hot Rage Took the stage and were Front Page news. Feeling outrage about Hot Chicago days and justice, I Took a bus to wade into the fray, for A wade-in had been Scheduled for that day. There were only a Few of us, for our black friends Had better sense “I don't want To get my head Bashed in.” Decades before the UCD kids Marched bravely up the Admin Building stairs I stepped Timidly onto a Hot Chicago Street and Suddenly I knew that deep cold fear Could easily dissolve my resolve. If a group of local guys had Looked me in the eyes and asked “What are you doing here?” would I Have Petered out and Denied my Christ? Probably. I don't have College-athlete courage. At the time, the cause seemed Noble: Anyone, black or white Should have the right to swim At a public beach, even in Chicago. Decades later, another cause Noble in the eyes of its beholders Marched bravely up the Admin Building Stairs, because Anyone on the water-polo team Should have the right to play Collegiate water-polo. Would the Cambridge Ladies or UCD Undergrads give a damn about My little story, the story of The deep fear felt when the bus Pulled away and we few were All alone, wondering if we were Facing mortal danger so that Black kids could swim On a public beach with White strangers? Does anyone care who swims now On Chicago's public beaches? Do Cambridge Ladies still Knit for Poles? Does anyone's candy rattle? Truly, a deep passion for justice Grips us all for no one want to lose His well-deserved candy, and No one wants to lose his life as, During summers long ago, About when I was in Chicago, Headline news had to do with Police dogs and bodies of college boys Buried in a bog. Do the Cambridge Ladies Or UCD Undergrads care If somewhere the bones Of those who died for A truly noble cause Rattle in their graves, The Angry Candy Of their day? A French, UCD '74