One Place Here

Miré Regulus

His bones know at least one place here
contoured, the curve of the slope
his body memory of that spot
he has a place here

 He came once
And was known
And was held
And offered sanctuary by this ground
As Oya blew, this trampled place offered
Solace from what he thinks of as the outside world
The irony of relief from internal churnings

This shared conglomeration
of running dogs, playing children
paired heads conferring
hot foods, no homes
open sky, ants carrying on
cacophony at scale
nonetheless
transformed his confusion
offered generous context

He came many times

Today or tomorrow
Can he find that precise location again?
He believes that magic requires specificity
or does the land recognize his pulse
next time he comes
to this place and sits down
anywhere nearby
his spot?

Forever after he goes again
this park
this time
this ground
weaves what he is leaving
what he carried before

His transformation
into the long rolling story of us