Remember when we
Remember
when we
were
refugees,
martyrs in
transition.
Road hypnosis.
Steps
incessantly
stranger.
Walking
unhinged,
barbaric terrain.
Home, family, streets
to meet and trade,
perks of
urbanity
cultured
humanity
strong lanes of
history,
tightly wrapped
common milieu
as small daily
rituals.
Now obliterated,
markers
of place, of
purpose. Constrained movement
of uncertain
destination,
I walk enclosed in
walkers’ formation,
consciousness
optional,
entrained within we
of unsettled duration.
Brief touch, short
awareness of a face,
faces, eyes almost
blind, shrouded by terror,
destitution.
Why be human, cling
to burdens of the flesh,
of
aspiring?
Herd cattle, we
pretend have no pain,
no mindful fear, no
sense of personal
reality.
We walk because we
have no landing.
Long past exhaustion,
grabbing at pity of
strangers to attend
our exhibition, to watch
over, protect,
accept, that we fall on their streets
desperate for
sleep.
Tattered skin,
fragile bones;
reviled by foreign
merchants
expecting quid pro
quo
wherever we’re
pressed to go.
Who are we, bleeding
identity, to plead
salvation?
When we must stop,
drop to the ground,
do they walk over us,
or around, or humanely
offer shelter,
bedding?
Redefine home as
space to sleep, keep
what we own (until
stolen).
Ever diminished, with
no where
to root and
grow,
without resource of
comfort, nothing
worth waking, yet
another dire day descends.
Small girlchild, rags
and dust – follow
her morning of
traverse, this tiny world allowed.
Each tent flap
reveals fester of wounds deep
and shallow, ravage
disease.
Senses, thought,
subsumed to beat of breath
outside rational
context.
Stuck in the dirt,
her worth a hole where
she bottoms out,
tributary blood expelled.
Once accustomed
security of work and love
(pre-war
normality).
Today’s reality
denies those lives.
Turned from tribal
identity to nonentity,
just another
body, broken in the fray.
Yet over yonder
years, alliances twist,
resist, recombine; we
adapt, regroup.
Each here/now imbues
with further
circumstance, eternal
dance of fates
suspected or
surprise. If we could
visualize as from
above, masked for day’s
occasion, but behind
gathering whole
panorama
truths
as moments of
clarity,
whom are we assuming
our self story to
include?
Summons, ambient
clarion
to public
acclaim:
Lives matter, private
pain
sad desperation that
never
fully heals though it
ebb, sway, regain
purchase.
Surge of defiance
over uncertain destiny,
advance of industry,
if we might find that energy.
Realign expectant
gaze toward peace, plenty
-- planetary
necessity.
Eventually to
remember as poignant history,
ritual song to somber
tidal drum,
when we were refugees.
8/14/16
Remember
when we
were refugees
martyrs in transition
incessantly stranger
Walking
Road hypnosis
Step forward
through this unhinged, barbaric world.
Civil norms in revision.
Home, family, streets of commerce,
perks of urbanity
cultured humanity
strong lanes of history
tightly wrapped in our world viewed
as small daily rituals
Me within we, clear as air.
How recognize an I,
broken from web of familiar
connection, now obliterated markers
of place, of purpose.
Constrained movement of uncertain destination.
I walk enclosed in walkers’ formation,
consciousness optional,
entrained within we devoid of sentient time.
Brief touch, short awareness of a face,
faces, eyes almost blind, shrouded by terror,
destitution.
Why be human, cling to burdens of the flesh,
of aspiring?
Herd cattle, we pretend have no pain,
no mindful fear, no sense of our own
reality.
We walk because we have no landing.
Long past exhaustion, grabbing at pity of
strangers to attend our existence, to watch
over, protect, accept, that we fall on their streets
desperate for sleep.
Who are we, bleeding identity, to plead
salvation?
When we must stop, drop to the ground,
do they walk over us, or around, or humanely
offer shelter, bedding?
Choice not ours to demand.
Demand if you’ve nothing else to give voice.
How will such rudeness affect the treatment,
respect encountered?
Ever onward, diminished, with no where
to root, become.
Battered, disgraced, wasted;
stripped of livelihood, consequence,
continuity of plan or regimen.
Tattered skin, fragile bones;
reviled by foreign merchants
expecting quid pro quo
wherever we’re pressed to go.
Redefine home as space to sleep, keep
what we own (until stolen).
Without resource of comfort, nothing
worth waking, yet another dire day descends.
Small girlchild, rags and dust – follow
her morning of traverse, this tiny world allowed.
Each tent flap reveals fester of wounds deep
and shallow, ravage disease.
Senses, thought, subsumed to beat of breath
outside rational context.
Stuck in the dirt, her worth a hole where
she bottoms out, tributary blood expelled.
We’ve known security of work and love
once called normality.
Forward reality denies those lives
Who am I (are you) without my neighborhood of
affirmation, without mundane commiserations
and routines?
Turned from tribal identity to nonentity,
just another broken body in the fray.
I respond to each absurdity,
each broken line as I become less
and more.
Bonding anew, as we humans do,
each here/now imbues with further
circumstance. Eternal dance with fates
suspected and unknown. If we could
only stay unbound, masked for day’s
occasion, but behind gathering truths
as moments of clarity.
Whom are we assuming ourselves to
include?
Summons
to public ambient acclaim:
Lives matter, private pain
sad desperation that never
lessens though it ebb, sway, regain
purchase.
Real lives yearn, feel need
for some promised warmth of care.
Shared extremities that nurture hope
of shared deliverance, hands and minds
together strong.
Surge of survival over uncertain destiny,
return to industry, if we might find that energy.
Realign expectant gaze toward peace, plenty
-- planetary necessity
Eventually to remember as poignant history,
popular song, reverie as respite to somber tidal drum,
when we were refugees.
7-8/16
