Here and There

Here the trees have lost their leaves
And in your womb, the orange ripens.
Here the sun is asleep
And in your sky, he is laughing.
Here, they speak of Hollywood and golf
There, they speak of war and God.
Here, I am alone
There, I am surrounded by family.
Here, the fruit is beautiful but unripe
There, it grows like weeds in neighbors’ yards.
Here, the spirit is silenced
There, it shouts with joy at another dawn.
Here, everyone smiles
There, they smile if they mean it.
Here, they ask politely
There, they do not ask, but know.
Here, there are whispers behind your back
There, they shout into your face.
Here, few die young
There, it is expected.
Here, we have the mid-life crisis
There, twenty-one year olds are old men.
Here, we live forever
There, we die tomorrow.
Here, the ocean is far away
There, I can hear it in my kitchen.
Here, we are slaves to the clock
There, thousands of years change nothing.
Here, our hands are clean
There, our hearts are clean.