America and I

She said striking "We live in a me-society"
and that I should consider how it's "all about them."

and how foreign I am in respecting
the rights and needs of others above myself.

She said "You need to grow some balls" to my face
which was weird because, y'know, she's my mother.

But she's afraid I'll always give in, smiling and nodding
always, always getting walked all over and all that jazz...

So I compared myself to Jesus, saying
that I love everyone, but I have a haircut and jeans.

And I don't mind being the help, but I am all too often
the only guy to carry an old lady's groceries. Goddamn.

I am the hands all the fucking time, and that
return policy on my good karma is well past due.

But I'm more than an invisible hand (an invisible man),
I am also patient for a pie and a title: prodigy.*

So our discussion ended with tears and iloveyous,
yada yada yada, but at least now I'm proud of my accent.

*DiFara's Pizza on Avenue J is by far the best pizza I have ever consumed.
The prodigy refers to Michaelangelo saying that "genius is eternal patience."