for those tanka sequence

for those who

borrowed lines from a poem

there was shame

and a skull tattooed

on their foreheads

for those who

crossed a river barefoot

there was laughter

and a dry spot on a boulder

a hug and a kiss on the cheek

for those who 
accused their ancestors 
of producing sugar
there were machetes waving 
in a sea of indifference

for those who

tucked their children in

there were bees

and butterflies tickling

their noses

for those who 
recorded sound in space
there was a lesson 
in coming back 
they'll never forget