i remember the sights, the lights
that hardly were ever there
the slow rain pouring, slowly
overflowing empty potholes on that street
where i used to run and get chased
i remember the honk of jeepneys
the buzz of flies on chicken intestines
roasted to perfection on the sidewalks
sold with a cup of coke for less than
you can ever imagine
then there was that dusty air i was used to
thought the air in America
was much too clean, i'd choke on it
and never get the chance to go
back to the hungry children, naked
impoverished, grinning like it was nothing
smiling as if they understood it all
the meaning of life, even mine.

and they did.
only they couldn't speak for they knew
no words i could understand

or maybe the problem was me.