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27 Years of Diplomatic Service for Poets Place |
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 |