Two years with no word.
The stick you planted
sprouted leaves last spring,
restoring hope. We had long
thought it dead. Two leaves
and a bud. A note
scrawled on a dollar bill,
unsigned and smuggled out
by some kindly stranger.
This is not much.
We can do little
but watch the tree grow
while you count steps
and deny the walls of a room
that light never touches.
“Return (El Salvador, 1983)” first appeared here in June 2015.
What a powerful image, on so many levels Robert. Resonates with what is happening in Russia right now.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Those fascist regimes repeat, don’t they?
LikeLiked by 1 person
They do – the ultimate bullies.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Alas.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This hurts.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There are too many similar stories!
LikeLiked by 1 person
And more are being created daily.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true. And unfortunate.
LikeLike
What can be done, I wonder, to stop the carnage? It is war daily, against the gangs, the people just trying to live in what seems to be a crippled economy. Completely heartbreaking events in a beautiful country.
LikeLike