That Other Life

That Other Life by Odin Roark Click Even with flip-flops The ground’s touch Goes unmistaken You’re only a child But you have traveled this road often You’ve picked flowering weeds For your mother Watched them whither In waterless bottles Beneath your mud roof You’ve held closed your eyes Wishing for better times Like now You’ve squatted your body Ever so gently To sleep Like now Awaiting the morning You’ve stared all night At a starless sky And another life Like now You’ve not wanted to uncurl The comfort of remaining tight together Just you And your dreams Seems so… But this is different You open your eyes There’s no need to wait The sun has risen The wind is drifting sand Atop your flip-flopped foot That never moved Remaining still So very still While you wondered what The second click never heard Sounds like But now You try to smile You know it must be safer over there That other life Away from roadside clicks Improvised hatred You don’t yet understand Your eyes rise from your foot Last thoughts are of your brother always grinning Just before he moves his crudely carved queen His checkmate grin You close your eyes You wish you could Take back your last move