<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Deportation</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Well it’s happened.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I’m being deported.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">They came last week</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">a pair of suits with attitude. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">They’re sending me back</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">to where I came from --</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Davenport, Iowa.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Somebody snitched my secret.  </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I wasn’t born in California.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The California Water Conservation and Immigration Service</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">were on the job and in my face. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Did I have identification? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We soon agreed that I was </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">who I thought I was.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Sir,” the tall one said, â€œYou have one week.”  </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I couldn’t believe it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">              â€œWhy?  I haven’t washed my car in seven months!”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Sir,” he said, â€œYou’re drinking our water.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">            He had me there.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“You have to leave!”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">            â€œBut I don’t know anyone in Iowa!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">             I haven’t spoken Iowanese in 60 years!”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“You can learn it again.”<br>            â€œI’m a Democrat for Cripes sake!” </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Do you have a green card?”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">            â€œI’m retired.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Do you have an immigrant visa?”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">            â€œI have a Visa card.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Use it to buy a bus ticket.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">            â€œBut this is my home!”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Not anymore.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">            â€œI know I wasn’t born here.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“You admit it then.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">            â€œBut I got here as soon as I could!”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The short guy said,   â€œDo you speak any Iowanese?”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">            â€œJust <i>please, thank you </i>and<i> I didn’t do it</i>.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Sir, you won’t have any trouble.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">            </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">They left and I thought about it. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I’ll show them.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Before I leave for Minneapolis,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I’ll wash my car. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">                         ~Doug von Koss</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">                             Year of the drought 2015</span></p><br>All the suffering in the world comes from seeking pleasure for oneself. All the happiness in the world comes from seeking happiness for others.<div>   - Shantideva </div></div></body></html>