| I Jokes
|
| In Nome we say I jokes |
| quick and deadpan |
|
at the end of a joke. I jokes |
| we say, the Eskimo |
| English sticky on tongue. |
|
In Nome we say I jokes |
| all right. Could be a cluck or a croak. |
|
Or shyly,
mouth covered by hand |
|
at the end of a joke. I jokes |
| is how we poke |
| fun at our people and plans. |
|
In Nome we say I jokes |
| because even though broken, |
| we've survived, a clan |
|
at the end of a joke. I jokes, |
| we say, our spoken |
| coda, our last proud stand. |
| In Nome we say I jokes |
| at the end of a joke. I jokes. |
|
first published in Beloit Poetry Journal |