~ The Poet's Place Cafe~

The SLA targets My Dad prose poem version

(true story)

back in 1973 which was a wild year in the U.S, the SLA, Symbionese Liberation Army.erupted out of nowhere targeting the Bay area for a couple of weeks of terror campaigns against their enemies. The published a manifesto denouncing the “fascist insects” that needed to be eliminated. They robbed a few banks, kidnapped Patty Hearst, operated a few free breakfasts etc before they were finally rounded up.

My father got on their hit list because as chancellor of the local community college he had instituted a mandatory student and staff id policy to combat rising crime on the local community college campuses. for that crime he appeared on their hit list.

the local police sent police to card our house and for two weeks they were there all the time. One morning I saluted my father saying “Good morning fascist insect”. My father, being of dour Germanic-Norwegian stock was not amused. My mother, being of Irish, Cherokee background laughed and said “he sure is a fascist insect” He glared at both of us as he finished his morning coffee.



back in 1973
a wild year in the U.S,
the SLA, Symbionese Liberation Army.
erupted out of nowhere

targeting the Bay area
for a couple of weeks
of terror campaigns
against their enemies.

They issued a manifesto
denouncing the “fascist insects”
that needed to be eliminated.

They robbed a few banks,
kidnapped Patty Hearst,
operated a few free breakfasts etc
before they were finally rounded up.

My father got on their hit list
because as chancellor
of the local community college
he had instituted

a mandatory student and staff id policy
to combat rising crime
on the local community college campuses.
for that crime he appeared on their hit list.

the local police sent police
guard our our house
and for two weeks
they were there all the time.

One morning
I saluted my father
saying “Good morning fascist insect”.

My father,
being of dour Germanic-Norwegian stock
was not amused.
My mother, being of Irish, Cherokee background
laughed and said “he sure is a fascist insect”
He glared at both of us
as he finished his morning coffee.