For Henryk
What have those watery globes
in industrial goggles seen?
Frozen lakes, dance halls, unexpected
Goodbyes, I’m sure.
Locked vaults of anaesthetic and no
Combination. You’ve trapped me in those unbroken
Codes.
I know you want to forget,
But every mispronunciation
Reminds me of what I’m lacking.
A name with no recollection;
A name with no language.
You’re no angel just a vulnerable
Old man broken by his past.
And that breaks
Me.
I’ve been mourning my history
Since before I was born.
You deserve memorial
But, how can I remember you when you won’t let me?