Exclusion

Who shall we keep out?
Tall people? Short people?
People who need a translator?
Whiners? The poor? People

who shout? People who still say
‘See you later alligator?’
People who don’t know what day
it is? People who’ve failed

at something? Big heads? Show-
offs who like the sound
of their own voices too much?
People who whisper? People who stare

at the ground when they speak
to you? People who speak to you?
People who sneak around? People
who are too old, too young? Too rude?

It’s a difficult job deciding
who to exclude. We can’t win.
I sometimes think the easy thing
would be to just let everyone in.

Short People