Member Poem

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Rusty, old Chevys rumble past

The sun glows low in the distant horizon of 

Lomé, Togo

I sit down in my chair…

put my legs up on the table 

And I ponder my experiences upon the dusty rooftop of the Korean Missionary School 

I reminisce about  the 

laughter 

of the English class I taught 

where although their faces were 

timeworn

seasoned 

with the memories of 

poverty

and hard work

their eyes 

twinkled 

like the curiosity of a child

I remember the daily cleaning hours from 7 A.M. to 11:50 P.M. where in the morning I would simply be

a janitor 

sweeping the dust off the concrete sidewalks

watering the green papaya trees 

as well as the banana trees

I would stand next to the banana trees

and wonder why 

bananas needed constant Watering...

 

The mother goose and her ducklings disrupt 

T-R-A-I-N--O-F--T-H-O-U-G-H-T

as they quickly waddled around me

away from the pup 

clumsily chasing them as he whirls up dust with his hind legs 

And into their safe pen 

I can clearly bring to mind 

the friendly laughter

of the Togo men laying on their 

corroded motorbikes 

as they see me 

plow 

the weed- infested fields

in the scorching sun 

at the hottest time of the day 

What a sight it was to see a 

young 

yellow 

boy 

Seoul, South Korea 

plowing the weed- infested fields with an 

Africana plow!

 

…

 

Memories flowed

 

first like the 

light 

pitter-patter of rain 

to the 

low

constant 

hum 

of white noise 

then finally like a 

gluttonous 

flash flood 

devouring  wood, concrete and dirt

 

Suddenly 

misty-eyed 

I could not help but 

 

thank 

 

Him 

 

for Mark’s patience when I make mistakes as a janitor

Abella’s kindness giving me a gift before I left back for Korea

Grace’s forgiveness when I bumble into the class

 late

And the faithfulness of my students showing up on time for class

 

encountered at my stay in the college

Without a word, I stumble back into my room …

And lay down on my twin sized bed

Soon to slowly fall asleep 

with a smile...