Did they tick the box marked “Home” for “lay me
beneath blue sky on forever overcrowded rock”?
Or did they tick the one marked “Away” for
“bury me where any old sky finds me”?
What were they thinking when they signed here.
And here. Lef’ one mudda behind, set sail
for the next one’s swatch of greys, tuh mek it home
when they can, over four decades or so?
How was it, without fail, they stamped and sent
airmail letter, crate, barrel, postal order?
Holding two sets of lives together. One
pun de rock, the next in a hard place. How
“away” does mash-up into “home” after
all de ticking? How return come like exile?