.life In The Islands..... Poem by RIC BASTASA

we easily
forget

with one glass
of coconut wine
we have
easily forgotten

what his father
did to all of us

your uncle was
killed in broad
daylight
his body thrown
into the murky river
and was gone

your mother was
robbed
and she roams the
street
screaming
like a mad woman

your brother was
taken
and has since been
not found
listed as another
victim

how easily do
we forget
what he did to us
what cruelty was
there


now his son is
here
smiling
offering a glass of
wine
seeking reconciliation
and we drink with
him
as another found
friend


how easily do we
forget
he was with his father
when your sister
was raped


the houses of our
relatives were burned
by the bodyguards
of his father

how easily do we
forget
how shallow
how small are our brains
how twisted
are our visions

with just a glass of
wine
how easy is it for us
to believe
that things are better now
that our enemies have
changed
and that we ought to
forget and then
move on with our lives....


how twisted!
how shallow!
how poor!