Here I am travelling alone
Here I am stepping
up into passenger plane with mail in the back with letters
jet fuel and odour, gagging for clean air
My eyes filled with tears,
I see with my glass eyes
the wetland and lakes full of fish, uncut for dried fish to eat
Come with me to a journey
where city is made from crushed rocks
prone to earth moving underneath
My friend Sleeping Lady across the wide river
I’ve entered the Dena’ina land before on a stretcher at 5.
This place with a military asbestos chemical painted walls—it was like a zoo with a medical
chart. No colours on the walls, Alaskan art pieces coming and going through the door made
with nature
hands full of money—mine goes to unpaid bills!
There were other village kids, hair like mine in white gowns
the summer with no rain
no tear stains to leave the plastic covered pillow
dropping crayons and little metal cars from the hospital pediatrics triage,
window that faces the wide river
hot summer days melt the crayons on the window sill
A young boy died in a wheelchair while I pushed his wheels in the hallway!
I am alone again with crayons in my hand and a blazing orange truck to ride around this town.
Here I am traveling alone again, stepping up and still
the crayons melting under the sun.