RIC S. BASTASA

Do not be surprised now in these dark times
I have no fears
Nothing is late for you to play with me
In this dark room
Or outside where there is no moon
Where the only presence we know
Are our words without our bodies
Our sounds of endearment
There are no eyes not even the nose
Sometimes the hands
When occasionally
You learn to touch me

When mothers celebrate life
Or fathers take pride in their posterity
The names of their children and grandchildren
Their grand place in this world
We cannot take part
We cannot even watch
We turn into moles
They belong to the center stage of life
And the sun shines on all of them
Except us

Did we choose this place
Where the trees do not have fruits
Where the shrubs do not have flowers
Where the root crops do not have any flesh?
Where the vines do not have the perfect tendrils?

We did not
We wanted to live just like them
Or anybody else
We have asked the questions
They do not have the answers
I see your face blankly staring at the window
On this dark night
I pity you
I have the answers but I will not tell you
It is getting late and we need
The sound sleep we too deserve
We have more nice places inside our dreams