Page 84
By Jack Joseph Smith
Right Half Back
Out in the world
Thay thought I took a second for sure
The biggest load I could get,
was even better
than what I was taught
I am sincerely sorry
for so many of you
You can't even try
To be a native son
Original Scan
AI Interpretation
GPT
Right Half Back mixes burden, apology, toughness, and a cutting line about not even being able to try being native, giving it the feel of a social and personal rebuke at once.
Even with OCR roughness, the stance is clear. The speaker is talking back to a world of false toughness and false belonging.
Claude
Right Half Back. Out in the world — thought I took a second for sure. The biggest load I could get was even better than what I was taught. Sincerely sorry for so many of you — you can't even try to be a native son.