The Sneetches II

 The Sneetches II

With Apologies to Lorenzo Kom’boa Ervin & Dr. Seuss

Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches Had bellies with stars. 

The Plain-Belly Sneetches Had none upon thars. 

Those stars weren't so big. They were really so small 

You might think such a thing wouldn't matter at all. 

Because the Star-Belly Sneetches Had This Mark Upon Thars

They would brag, "We’re all equal, I don’t even see stars." 

With their snoots in the air, they would snort and they’d bob,

While the star-bellied bosses hired other star-bellies for jobs.

And if a plain-belly sneetch does get a higher vocation,

Their paycheck depends on defending the corporation,

They’re the plain-belly rep, tasked to stop discrimination

And if racism continues, the star-bellied bosses replace ‘em

The star belly sneetches by deed and not being
Star-picked and star-chose choose which things they were seeing

The horrors around make not a dent in their thoughts

As plain bellies are harassed and shot by star-bellied cops

Many Star-bellied sneetches call loudly “this unfairness must be ending!”

And then hold conferences on ‘tolerance’ with no Plain bellies Attending

No plain bellies voices to rise above the star-crossed chatter

All saying “In this house love is love, and Plain belly lives matter”

By giving more star crumbs to the star-bellied working sneetches

Star bosses sow division so that sneetch solidarity decreases

They push down the wages the plain bellies can reaches

And star-wash the history with star leadership’s bleaches

The Radical starbellies all promise real action

But dismiss painbelly issues as ‘just a distraction’

“True power lies with politicians, landlords, and bosses of all kind”

“The real stars are thars! There's none upon mine”

“We must fight these real enemies through total sneetch unity”

“I have plain belly friends and they all agree too with me,”

“Wait your turn!” said the starbellies “Once the real fight is done.” 

But history has shown that “later” never comes

Many left wing sneetches with stars still find themselves caught

And ultimately conditioned with the same star-supremacist thoughts

You find elsewhere in star-bellied supremacist civ

That exploits and extracts more than plain-bellies would give

So plain belly sneetches might not trust or work united

With Star bellied sneetches who don’t try to fight it

Who don’t amplify plainbelly sneetches struggles as real

And instead hide in delusions to protect star-bellied feels

And a star-bellied movement of commanding starbellied leaders 

Rather than plainbelly liberation and autonomy is weaker

It takes real work to renounce taking dubs so unjustly

Systems which harm you might harm neighbours doubly

The working class sneetches have bellies of all types

With different struggles and different dislikes

Listen to everyone, lived experience is personal

The fight for all bellies dissimilar can be made universal

Oppressed sneetches have a right to self-determination

To set their own rules and make their own organizations

They don’t need backseat star-bellied opticians

Remember: One sneetch mouth to talk; two sneetch ears to listen

This is basic, it’s justice, it should just be elementary

But star-bellied radicals want to debate it endlessly

It’s not fun to confront shortcomings, your own especially

But you can’t confront sneetch society without confronting star supremacy!

        SRSLY WRONG