US American Education
(Aint It Funny)

come to find out
I’m still of it
even when I aint
in it
aint it
funny how it
be like that
aint that
some shit
they say they
in it
but not of it
but it
don’t make no
sense it
don’t make it
true except
when it
make cents
& in it
makes cents
so in it
makes sense
I say it
makes scents
they say it
aint like that
they say it
like they aint
of it
& in it
& nothing
without it
I say I aint
about it
while still talking
about it
so what is it
about it
always out
& always in it
so it
seems so it
seams so it
seems aint it
funny it
aint funny
& I aint
under it
& I aint
over it

taint it
it taints
aint that
some shit

US American Middle Manifesto

Weaned on to the in between–
Only free to choose between
the less lesser evil & the greater greater–

Third parties without a third party,
hawkish bipartisan centrists tending
& trending toward fascist ambivalence–

Beholden to dollars, native to stolen
mother lands, mother tongues lost
in the translations of other nations–

Masses of monied military
territories occupied but not quite owned
forcing what’s owed to sound like ode–

Seizing all the means
of production & consumption
with quantities & qualities cut mid–

                                                            American middle manufactured
                                                            American middle managed
                                                            American middle mandated
                                                            American middle maneuvered
                                                            American middle manipulated
                                                            American middle mancipated
                                                            American middle manifested
                                                            American middle mangled
                                                            American middle manslaughtered–

Aerik Francis (they/them) is a Queer Black & Latinx poet & teaching artist born & based in Denver, CO. Aerik is the author of the poetry chapbooks BODYELECTRONIC (Trouble Department 2022) and MISEDUCATION (New Delta Review 2023). Their third poetry chapbook BODYPOLITIC is out now with Abode Press. Find more of their work on their website phaentompoet.com and find them on social media @phaentompoet