27 Years of Diplomatic Service

27 Years of Diplomatic Service

For 27 years
I served my country
As a diplomat

I worked all over the world
Advancing US government policies
Promoting American values

Helping foreigners visit the U.S.
Helping Americans overseas
Issuing thousands of visas

Talking to thousands of people
Every day
In my fractured tortured English
Korean, Thai, and Spanish

I started out in 1991
In Seoul, Korea
Adjudicating visas
Helping American citizens
Who got into trouble

Then on to Thailand
Where I did more visas
Mostly immigrant visas
and helped Americans
in trouble

along the way
learned the art
of making a death call
and a prison visit

must have done
35 death calls
In my career.

Never easy telling someone
That their love one
Died in a foreign land.

In India I became
A visa fraud investigator
Heard hundreds of stories
Some of which were true.

Made some people happy
Made other people cry
Learned how people cheated
The system and got away
With it.

I also helped Americans
Who became down and out
In a foreign land

Often mentally disturbed
Showing up at the Embassy
For assistance

I changed gears
Became a labor officer
A commercial officer

An economic officer
In Barbados
And the eastern Caribbean

And in Spain my last overseas postings
Did more visas, and investigate fraud
Battling the irrational
Department of Homeland Security
To help people travel to the U.S.


I worked all over the world
Advancing US government policies
Promoting American values

Helping foreigners visit the U.S.
Helping Americans overseas
Issuing thousands of visas

Talking to thousands of people
Every day
In my fractured tortured English
Korean, Thai, and Spanish

In the end
I just remained
A boy who grew up in Berkeley

And was eternally grateful and amazed
For the opportunity to serve
My country