american

"wow, you have no accent!"
well meaning, twinkling blue-green eyes beam at me
through a frame of platinum lashes
and a big, bright Colgate smile

a compliment?
an offense?

an avalanche of thoughts
a cascade of things I want to say

does it surprise you?
my impeccable standard American English
because it's better than yours

is it because my name isn't Stacy or Jessica or Jennifer

or, is it the jet black of my thick eyebrows
the yellow-green tinge to my, otherwise, seemingly white complexion
my large, almond shaped dark eyes
that you can't quite place
some kind of "ethnic" or "exotic"

Indian, Greek, Eastern European
Egyptian maybe

What are you?

What am I?
I am a human, motherfucker
and an American one at that
yeah, go figure

all wrapped up and insulated in your soft cashmere* ignorance