Genealogy Dream
To recall but not recall: family, the swift curve
of evolution’s arc. One moment your knuckles
scrape the earth’s surface, and the next you’re
pinpointing mortar fire by satellite phone. Or,
having plowed the field by hand, you fertilize
with human dung (no swords in this hovel),
only to wake into a dream of high rises and
coffee served steaming by a blushing ingenue
who morphs into an uncle, killed in China
on the wrong side of the war, leaving his
sister still mired in grief six decades later
under the Texas sun. On this end of memory’s
ocean, we know poverty and its engendered
disrespect, neighbors’ children warned not
to play with you, for fear that the family’s
lack of nickels would rub off and contaminate,
that your belly’s empty shadow might spread
down the unpaved streets and envelop even
those who don’t need to share a single egg
for dinner. Years later the son will celebrate
his tenth year by suffering the indignity of
a bloody nose and a visit to the principal’s
office, a gift of the sixth grader who would
never again employ “Nip” to disparage
someone, at least not without looking over
his shoulder in fear of small fists and quiet
rage. Which half measures harder? In one
hand, steel. In the other, water. I pour green
tea on rice and recall days I’ve never lived.
“Genealogy Dream” was first published in August 2018 in Issue 4 of Lost River literary magazine. Many thanks to editor Leigh Cheak for taking this piece.
O at the Edges 
Wow – powerful.
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Thanks, V.J. Memory, family and dreams…
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You do know how to tie it all together so well.
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Sometimes the words just fall in place. 🙂
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This is so perfectly put together, flawless haibun! That has to be your Mom and Dad in the photo, as I can see so much of your facial structure coming from your mother: you also have her perfectly engrossing stare: you can’t help but think only of what she might be thinking about. Great poetry and fascinating photo!
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Yes, my parents in 1952 or 1953. We have only a few photos from those days. This is my favorite of them.
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A wonderful poem and a lovely photo.
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Thanks very much!
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Excellent!
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Thank you, Barbara!
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They’ll certainly be some fists if you nip someone’s name in the bud hence the need to look over his shoulder first for any sign of rage.
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I no longer respond with fists, but when I was a child it seemed the course to take.
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😂 Hahaaaa…. Really……. I hope this course sounded interesting….
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