Franco-American
By Nancy Myette-Rakoczy

Franco-American
you wink at me from
the can of fat spaghetti
making us more
promises

"This will work," you say
"Eat this leave your noodles behind and
you will become an American
eat and you will become
true red white and blue"

truly Franco-American?

Because what haven't we tried?
we've eaten chicken chow mein from a can
with crunchy noodles and gluey bean
sprouts and that hasn't made us American
Our chicken soup comes from a
red can with noodles so soft they
melt in our mouth.
We'll eat anything from a can
because we know real Americans eat from cans
So we eat your orange spaghetti
leave our chewy, hand-cut, noodles alone
one more guilty secret

Franco-American
you are fat sweet and orange
you stain our mouths a decent clown red
We go so far as to lick the plate clean
if that will help
Promise?
Oh promise me, Franco-American
promise this will work

I see by your hyphen you weren't born here
either and look at what a big success you are!
Anything can happen in this country