For Henry 

Henry,  

Jump for joy, sweet boy, 

You are that wronged thing now free. 

A recurring chill down the length of my spine. 

A sapling with your name, “Henry Ko” etched in deep. 

A green tree, cut down, too soon.

A bird that sings like you flies to the sun. 

Good son, generous brother, friend…. husband — provider. 

You were told no, three times, when you needed to be hear “yes.” 

Your life was in danger: 

A brother, who made you feel like your life had no value. 

A stranger, who matched perfectly, came through once, only to disappear. 

The Chinese government collecting the World’s bone marrow, 

 Rejecting your request. 

You raged, my love, you suffered. 

The cells of your body, multiplying out- of- control,   

a mystery— why? 

How could this be happening? 

My husband was a soldier like no other. 

He wore red war paint to radiation treatments. 

Ventilator tube, in place, to respirate. 

Punctured lung, coils on spleen,  

organs shutting down one- by- one. 

Morphine sleeps to still the pain. 

An image you had of a knight standing upright, 

Pointing his sword at your chest, 

“A protector and angel?” I wanted to know. 

“No” you said “Evil.” 

A malignancy, 

In full armor brandishing sword and shield,  

When all you had was a coat of bloodied feathers,  

Shredded lab tests instead of banner. 

You tasted fear,  

You heard the march of an invader stronger than your armies. 

Your will to survive sped up. 

Drip, drip, drip. 

A political prisoner laid bare. 

 We planned to grow old together. 

We had a past, present, we dreamed of a future together.

I, your Little Sweets and you, my Big Sweets. 

You, a beautiful bird I had in my sights. 

You, a beautiful young man,

Whose head rests forever on my chest

Evergreen.

I tear at my clothes, 

teeth fall out of my mouth, 

Air has been let out of my tires. 

How can I go on without you? 

Ghost Lover 

Whether like Keats, 

a name writ- in –water, 

Or like a feather carried by the wind, 

We will meet at our next wedding day. 

We will marry again,  

In a storied church without walls, at a time without end, 

When we are truly free, 

We will marry again. 

@Alina Avila Ko, 

 All Souls Unitarian Church, a space of marriage and memorial. 

For Henry 

January, 2015 

Sammy,

while driving to who knows where?

I had an immediate image of your legs

the patten of the back of your legs

do you know what that does to me?

tortoises fur

Little male bird, tail feather, due north

Where did I lose you Samuel?

At what intersection? Which highway?

At which accident?

2 my loving arms,

reconciliation

your man I will taste (not) for the last time

your lips I will taste (not)

tongue

4 Sam

I open 4 you, an inverted V

hair, skin, bones

the tree truck of your body

the top of your very top top

turtle girls

pucker

a fool 4 Sam

Matt Damon cryptic

shared only between us 2

swoosh

bean been where?

passion is the only thing to live 4

disappointment

5 /10/2023

the lone singer crow on a rare isle

 

while others were

cawing

squeezing

kkking

twilling

orchestra of birdyyy

 

i shood on a palm tree branch – all silent

tweet flock—y

enjoying breeze

 

coo coo coo

twill

tweet

cawing

 

on the lake

water skiers encircled round

pair of young ducks – they

they proceed to expand their wings

fly away anxiously

 

Decidedly

 

sun down on the balcony over the lake

cawing

tweet tweet

black song birdies

crows

 

9/13/2017

On Viewing Joyce Carol Oates

The duty of Genius is to Inspire

JCO