"Watashiwa"

An island free from firearms.
A family of five:
five explorers, five thinkers, five lovers.
Weekends spent on white sand beaches
that surrounded the tiny Japanese island.
Crystal-clear saltwater, a picnic
with triangle sandwiches, Tang, sushi.

Mother bronzed in a rainbow fold-out chair.
That was beauty.
Dad caught sea cucumbers with his bare hands.
The bravest man I had ever known.
That was safety.
The five of us
removed from belongings, states, family.
With white concrete blocks for houses-
to keep safe from typhoons.
Rented furniture,
hibiscus outside my window,
and always a turquoise blue sky
was home.