During his reign as Poet Laureate of Philadelphia — Philly's second, now followed by Yolanda Wisher — Frank Sherlock did so much that we loved. And he continues to do so. Today, for instance, Sherlock sees the publication of "No Border No Cry" — "my recent piece reclaiming radical Irish solidarity with people of color" is how he describes it —  in English and Spanish, translated by Carlos Soto Román, in the Mexican lit journal Transtierros. It's both timely and, in Philly, sadly timeless, as it describes a certain vibe that has motivated local politics here since before we were born. It reads, in part:

Become a Big House enforcer

Become a Rizzocrat

Become UDA here in Southwest or South Boston

Become well-versed in Cromwell’s Pocket Bible

Become a Shankill Butcher

Become a crown grunt for the reward of being able to wear whiteness

Become a ham-head who murders Fred Hampton

Become Volunteer of the Year

Become a sniper at 60th & Springfield

Become someone who Master lets hold the whip

You can hear Sherlock read "No Border No Cry" here:

[Photo: Heather Raquel Phillips]