he can wear a long black coat
in the midday sun
a baseball cap shields his eyes,
he walked out of his country
over 50 years ago,
simply left that life behind him,
all the mountains
the indescribable glory of the
vast open plains,
the name of the family
the fame of his wealth,
walked out of Tibet into India
he will never be surprised at what
life might bring to him
he has truly been to the other side,
worked his fingers to the bone
in the unrelenting heat of Bharat,
now he keeps his station
watchin’ over his youngers
taking stock of the breeze
and the distant hum
of his adopted nation,
maybe he thinks of the Land of Snows
but if he does he never shows it
- from Excavations Around the Sun
