next

men in turban sometimes i see
two other times i see three four
or even five seated around the picnic table
my rest stop beside the walking trail

they chat a chant in an alien tongue
effectively excluding others speaking
the language of the adopted soil
then i saw these men sitting on table

announcing another set of values to drive
others away from vicinity; they moved
one day to lay aged frames on platform
instead placing picnic food like others

as i probed what’s next they
vacated to the ground to sit around
playing a pack of cards one man even
waving as if inviting me to the game

but in heart i pondered who’s next
after my brother Rex, followed by mum
and dad, had crossed to the other side to play
that game none had come back to name

28.08.2012