borderlands

...once fell in love with an African man.
(or was he from the continent I knew?
you never know.)

we never knew how
to express what we know,
to show
the beating heart of what is real,
the lowest level in respect
of what is marked Human Resource.

too lost in objectives, I guess,
the borderlands of Africa, Europe,
the oceans in between,
the flesh and waves and air,

the pure, erotic, sensual recline...
the tragicomic, slow decline...

he tried to swim the oceans and
expected nothing in return, and so...
although I'm sad we didn't meet,
I'm grateful he made the effort.