Cars, limping like wounded things, panting and struggling

They said the casing was good. Son-of-a-bitch she’s broke damn near through!

But Danny in the back seat wants a cup of water

Ragged patched overalls, barefoot

Their faces, streaked with dust

They rushed directly to the mud puddle, thrust their toes in

“Can we git some water ma’am? Danny wants a cup of water”

Aww right.. (Go watch the waterhose)!

Truck drivers and wealthy businessmen

sat on stools and savored on big thick banana cream pie.

We need bread…we..we..we’ll pay fifteen cents!

This ain’t a grossscery store nowwhyn’tyougobacktowhereyoucome from?

This is a free country mister. Fella can go where he wants.

Well you ain’t in your own country now! You’re in California, an’

we don’t want you goddamn Okies settlin’ down

This here’s United States, not California

And the dispossessed, the migrants, flowed into California



Two hundred and fifty thousand,

and three hundred thousand.

In every manload to lift, f i i v e pairs of arms extended to lift it;

for every stomachful of food,

f i i v e mouths opened—

(he paid the men oh yes! And sold them food, and took the money back.)

They were hungry, and they were fierce.

They had hoped to find a home, and they found… hatred.

Barbarians, trying to steal alittlerichness from the earth

But We was hungry! We was hungry ANDANDAND

They made us c r a w l for our dinner! They took our dignity! They—

They watched to see whether they were still criminals

…If only I had a little money.



I hadmyeyesonyou Okies what you think YOU’RE doin’? This ain’t your land.

You’re trespassing you goddamn intruders!



This here’s the United States,

not California-now you watch your tongue or I’ll tear ya to p i e c e s

Yeah, Okies?! Listen ya little son of a bitch—

You better start running or I’ll lick and run ya ma’am in!

And in the eyes of the hungry the wrath is growing heavy—

They saw the oranges roll down to a putrefying

ooze, they watched the potatoes float by.



Suddenly, [link].handle and soon!

a cop fell side-ways out of the light



Like hermit crabs from shells, People saw. Their quiet eyes reflected the dying fire

“I done it!”, he said.

…

And against the sun, with his arms out, he looked big-as God