Settling Down

billzhao

Coming here
" O& E# H; h2 q% z4 q5 D3 zSettling down
6 W- P% |2 M% ]( @; s( Zwas easier for you
2 q9 T  h" p. S6 h; w$ l: PHomesick
I measured the miles
1 X# l1 [4 d8 |( v" L+ dset the clock's dark hands
with a view of returning to home ground
* I5 M) K" d1 |  }7 A
Days inched into years
7 K  |! B5 i# I% L! lI watched others
+ F- H9 A+ [( ocome and go back
* `  f7 m6 @4 m2 U- Jgo and come back
We never did
2 s/ Z; t$ s/ g9 ~2 cnor can we now
, I4 a! B* y" g# K# ^resettle in the old country
. A/ g$ Q5 ]( F  ^; `2 E4 M9 hleave our children
  p( }0 _& p9 V% s7 h& band their children
: }* y! p, ]8 E2 Z* O( g7 b$ k# Dsettled down in theirs
) j) H1 K! Z% C5 J/ V

-----Margaret Saunders, in Bridging the Gap, 1990