i heard the voice
of a man
i couldn’t see
who spoke a language
i couldn’t understand
who dreams a dream
of a life
returned or free
just a man
nation-less
with somewhere to be

i found a mirror lost
in a desert sand
time falling from my hands

i heard a man
who dares to speak
finger drawn words
and dirty window seasons

moon night wind
in a poet’s words
i heard in language free
reasons to bleed
reasons to believe

i heard the voice
of a man i could see
whispering tree
in a language
a man could understand
across a tree
of life, growing in a deep sand.

- w. jude aher