Andy Young

STILL HUNGRY

after Williams, Koch, Mullen

1

I am eyeing the island I think there are penguins on
and which belongs to me me me

I  have bombed
another boat
which was probably a fisherman's

I killed the fish too food for the poor
good people mostly
many bad

2

I have taken
the sliver
of land

so many claim
and given it
to my son

he has arranged
with the robots
to control things

we do not
need to be
forgiven

3 

I have eaten the law respecting
I have eaten
respecting

I've lapped up your religion
and your free exercise
your thereof          I've swallowed
your speech

had your press
tossed from a bridge

                    I've iced
your assembled
people
deported their rights

I've ripped
their redress

4

I have eaten all the rights
which were in
the constitution 

                     and which you 
probably believed you
could count on

                       blame yourself 
they were only
for us  

5 

I have eaten
the children
which you were
probably saving

I have eaten
so sweet!
I have eaten
so cold!

I have eaten
forgive me
so delicious

6

I have eaten

your tired and your poor

eaten the masses
huddled eaten

                             your yearning
your "free"

I have eaten your
infants which were
held in her beacon-hand

I have eaten
her beacon-hand

this is to just to say oh say
can you see

I have eaten
the Mother of Exiles
we kept

   in the icebox

---

Andy Young's second full-length collection, Museum of the Soon to Depart, was published by Carnegie Mellon University Press (2024). She is also the author of All Night It Is Morning (Diálogos Press, 2014) and four chapbooks. She grew up in WV and has lived most of her adult life in New Orleans, where she teaches at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. Her work has recently appeared in Greensboro Review, and her poetry film "Pharmacy Museum Tour Guide, New Orleans" has been featured in dozens of film festivals. andyyoung.org