One foot in front
of the sinking other
those three nights
stars twinkled
and disappeared—
twinkled and disappeared
just as my yearning
for home
disappeared
that third night walking
in the rain
huddled in rain slickers
and still
soaked to the skin,
not one inch of skin left
dry
wiping heavy raindrop tears
from my eyes
as I watched the heads
bob up and down
bob and bow
protecting their eyes
from the drops—
there were no stars that night,
only the ones in my
eyes
from nights before
leading me to the days after
of budding new life
not wanting to return to the old
but knowing eventually I would
but still trying to hold on
a little longer
longing to hold onto my bags
in the bus
focusing my eyes
on the road, the green, the life--
the hope
trying to filter my gazes
to hide my feelings of this
Native son
this
Native land
so free, so beautiful
as I sat at the waterfall
counting the seconds
until I was completely dry
from the cool water
counting the closing hours
until the return
counting the freckles
on my skin, your skin, his skin, their skin—
counting anything
counting everything
to simply be alive
before saying good-bye
with tears flooding from my eyes
I yearn.