NYC

barred at new york airport

with an old suitcase and a fake nike bag

the man said that I could not pass

and then put me on a cultural gag

invited to leave by the friendly escort

maybe they did not like my perfume

it was like being naked in front of the class

I was the gringo piece of meat in the back room

they said it was not a question of race

but that was not my place

I said I was just a stupid South American tourist

despite my beard and my Arabian face

I sang a well-known samba

but they were dumber than I thought

divide the world between the US and the rest

mixing herring and bananas in the same pot

feared as a black mamba

suddenly I became a threat

What if I had a bomb attached to my chest?

they do not know how to deal with their fear of death

they said it was not a question of race

but that was not my place

I said I was just a stupid South American tourist

despite my beard and my Arabian face