DORMANT

A thousand orange trees and vineyards
dissolved in war must be terribly conflicted.
We are conditioned in our lives to look upon
a wild orchid in need; the yellow hand is a lost period
of ourselves to give. And we are conditioned in war
to lead people to know who is needed, for those closest
wonder when comes the way home,
and the levee breaks in the enemy as a loved one
who eludes us. Internally men are willing to help,
though we look upon a faceless lord, shared by everyone
but spoken of us. Something
must lead people just to survive.

(May 9, 2011)