departure order

with a departure order in one hand
and hand-cuffed to the other
but in heart filled with an overflowing
of pure spirited spirit of joyous freedom

i boarded the aircraft to the land
i fled only a year ago with a vision
of that gospel of american prosperity
of easy green tabloid announcing

a hypocritical affirmation, a trend
empty of human compassion
that trust in an absent god, mistrusting
my story of pain caused by guns and jets

my dream now is to carefully blend
the lessons learnt in two prisons
and continue my struggles to gnaw
like the beaver until the falsehood fall

blank screen

the blank screen, a bigger bully
inveighs my emptiness constantly
until my soul submits, to yield
that song destined to become a poem

un-meaning, un-rhythmic lines
designed and botched in mind
sick and bloated with an empty ego
but like that lotus in shitty mud

can still bring fragrance
of greater perfection
and petals of majestic beauty
to seat an egoless Buddha

my mini-vacation

end of every three weeks
i take a break to take time
to sit in the airport lounge
to watch the young and old

to play with justin
to pull him closer
under my blanket
and later change his diaper

i ponder how best
to share the love that i am
and grace i can give
to unease another’s burden

i sit with questions
allowing answers to unfold
i think about my day
and my years gone

i wonder what will matter
a year from now
i recall what i am grateful for
and remain quiet to sip my doubts