One of the questions on the form is race

the usual question of

white, African American

Hispanic, Asian, other

a worthless, annoying, offensive question

but there it is

except

it doesn’t say white

which would, at the least, be familiar, if not equally worthless

but Caucasian.

I begin to tick the box

when I pause and think Caucasian?

Really, how so?

I know a little of my ancestry.

As much as one can know.

~~~

There was Lucy, back in the day, way back

before beginning a nomadic journey 

from the Dark Continent 

northeast, taking a plagued and wandering route, and exodus

through the Middle East

then regions which now have names 

such as India, the Himalayas, Tibet, China, Mongolia

north again into Putinville

then east to the Alaskan Archipelago

or west through myriad Slavic and Baltic or Scandinavian lands

before taking that metaphoric Eurail Pass 

through the lands

of schnitzel, wooden clogs and windmills, the can-can, tapas

and maybe even north again 

to the oasis of overcooked beef and my dearest north country girl

north and east to, and through, kilts and The Troubles.

~~~

It was a Long and Winding Road 

before ending up here

Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay

here in the land of silicon 

and people like me

and to check that little box feels confining, disingenuous, wrong

so I check other.

We’ll see what happens.