Amigo or Illegal?

Editor’s Note by Dick Kelly:  Joyce Hodges is a retired school teacher who has been writing poetry all her life. She and her husband, Bill, spend four months a year in Tucson, Arizona, and split the rest of time between their home in Muskegon, Michigan and nearby cottage on Big Bass Lake.

Immigration Reform is a hot topic in today’s news. And yet, people’s opinions vary dramatically on this important issue. Living in the south end of Tucson, Arizona, four months out of the year, conversations can get quite heated, with no middle ground. And I wonder why people seem so convinced that they and they alone, seem to know how to handle the problem. Without taking sides, I decided to pen the following poem in rhyme:

Amigo or Illegal?

Amigo or Illegal – Thoughts come to mind. 
                         Some are malicious and others are kind. 
                         Perception of people can often occur. 
                         Tainting the facts, making views premature.  

Amigo or Illegal – Environmentalists shout. 
                         Trash in the washes is what it’s about. 
                         Then there are crops that rot in the field. 
                         Farmers need someone to bring in their yield.  

Amigo or Illegal – With hospitals and schools, 
                         each city needs finances and its share of rules. 
                         There are serious problems we must not ignore. 
                         Is someone a drug runner or just a señor? 

Amigo or Illegal – The walls we have built,  
                         will they give us comfort or leave us with guilt? 
                         Are Mexicans eager and willing to work? 
                         Are America’s borders considered a perk?  

Amigo or Illegal – There are many who see 
                         oppressive conditions that cause them to flee. 
                         The fear of arrest gives rise to heartache. 
                         Some leave their country to make a clean break.

Amigo or Illegal – The questions aren’t clear. 
                         We often form thoughts that one wants to hear.
                         But remember, dear friends, that whatever we do, 
                         we must be sure of our facts for a fair overview.  
                                         

Joyce Hodges