Phillis Wheatley

I'm a Words With Friends player. They have themed robot games, with a new roster of robots on a weekly basis. 

This week the theme is Black European Heroes, where you are "playing" famous black Europeans. Alexandre Dumas is one. He was, indeed, part black. As was Alexander Pushkin, who did not make it into this particular list of luminaries. 

But you know who made the cut? Phillis Wheatley. This startled me, because, as a rule she is counted as African American, not European. Born in Africa. Died in America. But her book of poems was published in England. And that's about as close to European as you can get her. 

If you say that Phillis Wheatley 

Wrote cleverly and sweetly, 

I'm readily agreeing. 

But calling her European 

Is something I'm not seeing.

"Today's the day for an online play."

Escape

If you want to escape the fact checkers, 

Stay away from facts! 

Ever since giving them up, 

I feel much more relaxed.

Meaning to be Found

Many meaningless jobs 

Are more meaningful than we think. 

The person who flips a burger, 

The person who cleans a sink, 

Perform in the great machine 

That furthers life here on earth, 

And you need to grasp that big picture 

To see most work has deep worth.