IN POETRY
Tear Gas
by H.J. Recinos
Tear Gas
by H.J. Recinos
they have walked for
weeks across a couple
of borders with young
men absorbed by images
of mothers handcuffed
by the border patrol and
slipped into nearly new
lock-up vans while kids
watched, and cried. they
have paced themselves for
days, whispering to each
other that no great gospel
truth would materialize
where border cops lay in
wait swinging batons with
closed eyes. the migrants have
promised to start a new life on
the other side with bent backs
that lower their wet eyes to earth
and children on this one-way trip
to America birthed. with blistered
feet they have slipped passed many
Sundays without hearing a single
bell, rested cold nights in hiding
waist deep in tears, felt incurable
sadness facing what was to come
in the land unexplained by divine
grace and greedily fed. they have
trod the miry lanes of Spanish-speaking
lands that beg for God’s pity, come to
the artificial line of a rude country to
experience the president’s men toss
with tempest ire tear gas canisters at
brown faces and innocent people who
haggle for a little more life.