Resistance

RESISTANCE (EAST TIMOR) A young man A young man lying Sightlessly staring beyond the sky. Resistance… A fierce wind blowing… Bitterness trapped in his quietened heart. His forehead. a round mark, tiny. precisely. A tilak? Futility. Scorching sun Clambering, burning, Sweltering, One more sacrifice. A mere boy Who will own him now? Festering, Ants consuming his brow. A woman Pauses at the place, Whimpering. Stoops to cool his face. Eyelids first. Closing them one last time. Lovingly. She is a mother. Familiar? Does she start to weep? No. She has seen all this before. Often.