Goodbye, for Now

 

But here, at the final barricade,

British customs officials snatch his brown arms,

force him to depart, his feet scar

the concrete in struggle: six, I cling to his legs.

 

My grandparents, aunts, uncles all wait

huddled together, crying. My mum urges me back.

But a strand of his frizzy hair brushes my cheek,

a moment, a lone tear in the deluge.

 

Then, even against the restraint of five men,

two arms are drawn from a worn

Andorra pullover, quick as rifles,

‘Suego Huego  muy una y uniquo ou livre.’

 

For a second, we cling to each other

tight as a hammock ties to trees. ‘Adois Papa.’

He is bundled into a van for deportation.

For months I recall the smell of Lama wool.

 

In mum’s mind, he stood blindfolded in a circle

Of tropical sunrise that bled red through the sky

Ringed by a firing squad in a city square

All palatial buildings and palm trees.

 

Charged with holding beliefs alien to theirs.

Seven years old, fatherless, I cried –

Cursed your deportation, those who signed

your expulsion but still I imagined you

 

drinking sambuca in an earthly paradise

Neither of us were right, you slipped somehow

Into a vast and camouflaged rainforest

In a canopy of trees you wrote to us, unsafe, alive.

 

Reviews

[bluessadmood]

Oh Sel that was both so sad and tragic but very artistic the way you put it..how deeply moved by your writing
He is bundled into a van..stood blindfolded in a circle..they were to fight
He had his believes,the strongest weapons,they had their rifles to shoot ,the cowards
To me he was the winner for ever and ever..for years he will be remembered with glory..they with shame
Seven years old I was fatherless,I cried..never cry little girl,your gift is up in heavens..for you belong to the angels
and he still lives..he was so brave and they were the cowards..they took his life..but could never take his beliefs..not ever
how i liked the way you told this..