RESIDENTALIEN

Hello, Alien Hello? Wrong number Right planet, though Face under cloth, my face in a file No name on the vest, mine stacked in a pile Black van cough once, whole block hold breath No body cam, everybody filming instead They call it targeted, target got blurred Wrong car, right fear, shots louder than words Green card glow in the rearview glass Permanent resident, panic travels fast One for the papers Two for the plane Three for the border Four for the name Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-daaa Blaaaah, blah, blaaaah ICE, ICE, ICE Airplanes Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-daaa Blaaah, blah, blaaah ICE, ICE, ICE Airplanes Case got dismissed, hallway said"Stay" Court gave me daylight, cuffs took it away Justice got two doors, one opens, one traps Same seal on the paper, strange hand on the latch Airport floor, one cuff for a souvenir Camera blink once, agents disappear School bell ring, half the row stay home Rumor catch the bus before the children can go One for the papers Two for the plane Three for the border Four for the name Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-daaa Blaaaah, blah, blaaaah ICE, ICE, ICE Airplanes Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-daaa Blaaaah, blah, blaaaah ICE, ICE, ICE Airplanes Case open Case closed In case you didn't know Church door, clinic light, daycare gate Safe used to mean safe, now safe means wait Green card sheen, but the room see red Permanent resident, temporary bed They count us in columns, we count empty chairs Removed on the screen, but the grief stays there Ask what I declare? I declare my name Stamp every page, you can't stamp out my name Does the old gate still complain When the hot wind leans? Does the mango tree still spend Gold across the green? Mama said my name Every barcode broke Borders lost their straight lines The moment that she spoke Dumela Sawubona Lumela down the phone They call me resident alien Mama calls me home One for the papers Two for the plane Three for the border Four for the name Five for the people Waiting in the rain Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-daaa Blaaaah, blah, blaaaah ICE, ICE, ICE Airplanes Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-daaa Blaaaah, blah, blaaaah ICE, ICE, ICE Airplanes Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-daaa Wrong little box Right little name Alien on paper Human in the rain Hello Dumela Sawubona Lumela Hallo Mhoro Resident means I live here Alien means Blah, blah, blah Hello