islands

“Islands are metaphors of the heart, no matter what poet says otherwise.”  
― Jeanette Winterson, Sexing the Cherry  
 
my land  
thy land  
any land we land on  
highlands  
lowlands  
solid base to stand on  
though the waters  
claim our daughters  
for convenient shores  
stranded menfolk  
on the boardwalk  
stricken to the core  

onward  
forward  
is our fervent fight word  
stronger  
longer  
as our loins we tight-gird  
isolated  
we have waited  
for new boats to land  
lest the ocean  
makes commotion  
more than we can stand  
 
vulture  
culture  
sea-and-land signature  
steal our  
honour  
choke the legislature  
shallow landscape  
futile escape  
handcuffed by the seas  
colonised and  
patronised in  
spite of sovereign pleas  
 
© Copyright 2020 March 05  
by Clyve A. Bowen♫