A section of the border wall near Camp Lonestar.

Poem: ‘Nouns at the Border Are Not to Be Trusted’

by

A version of this story ran in the October 2015 issue.

unlawful and disordered
the patrol at the border
answers to no one on either side of the gate
this the largest police force in the United States

border as a noun means edge, fringe, boundary
this noun tolerates the taste of duality
and collateral damage cruelties

border as a verb means to join,
to flank, to touch, skirt, or meet

border as an adjective implies relationship
as neighbor, nearness, contiguous, adjacent

knowing the meaning of the word
nouns at the border are not to be trusted
I much prefer adjectives and verbs