POEM: Dyslexic Write Wringer

Dyslexic Write Wringer

In a whack and blight world
Any dyslexic can tell you
A right winger
Is a white ringer

Only as an adult did I realize that I am mildly dyslexic. I have to intentionally work every time to distinguish my right from my left, except in politics, of course. I had great difficulty learning how to read and still have some difficulty reading along while others read, since recovering from my word reversals is easier in my own head than when reading along while someone actually reads it correctly. I cannot reliably look at a phone number and walk across the room and dial it. Math, particularly algebra, was unduly difficult with numbers and terms not having the same internal context as words in a sentence, or letters in a word. Fortunately, all of this is only mildly annoying rather than significantly disabling. In fact, I see that my poetry style and sense of humor are rooted in this perpetual jumbling of words and even concepts and the training of reordering them into their original or intended meaning. Of course, along the way, I am struck with new and often funny relationships. Hopefully, I have raised this to an art form. In this case, I see my mild dyslexia as a gift, even a superpower in word play!

This poem is a signature combination of my dyslexic tendencies and my left wing, though typically right, politics. Beyond the churning alliterative construction is a scathing critique of right wing politics as inextricable linked to white supremacy. Whites in racial politics are frighteningly reliably ringers as the supremacy in white supremacy is so complete that us whites are routinely blind to this simple yet pervasive and pernicious fact. This blindness of racism seems to be a necessity for racism to persist century after century. Of course, as a white man, I speak from experience; I had to learn this for myself, much later than I would have liked. I am now trying to unlearn my racist heritage and presumptuous privilege, and overwhelm racism by me with anti-racism by me. I have learned that white supremacy and racism is a problem that white people are responsible for and must be responsible in ending. No doubt, this is difficult: the blind leading the blind. Though I have also learned that I can learn from people of color simply by paying attention, listening, and working as an accomplice in ending racism. Most importantly, I must do this work without placing the burden on people of color to enlighten me. This is my responsibility. May I live up to it.