How Can I... Poem by Leonard Dabydeen

How can I dance in the rain
when morning comes without a smile
when trees no longer have branches
when light and darkness catch me
hiding in the shadows
like a cornered mouse …

How can I begin to cry
when tears know not fear
when the sun drifts north and south
when east and west are lost
in the pouring quagmire
like a lost pendulum of hope …

How can I tell what tomorrow brings
when I am moving along aimlessly
when I feel as if I am sailing in a dinghy
when I am steering in any direction
only listening to myself
like a flute without a sound…

How can I…