Knot

 
uneasy     knuckles callused     trouble with laces
found Velcro sneaks     the Payless shelltoes
looped her krama in a     around her neck
a cluster of people     a packed courthouse
in her stomach     nervous to repeat aloud
tongue tied in a     a misspoken oath     right
hand raised     another pledge of allegiance
she carried so many     back and shoulders
nestled deep in tissue     behind shoulder blades
muscle fibers     a tangled mass     to knead out
couldn’t     stop     remember     stop remembering
her son on a boat     the rest of her money
enough for one     drift slow     always under 5
never seen again     tears     enough for a village
a swig of rum     one around her neck     need out

*

Home Cooking: Recipe for a Lost Generation

 
Ingredients:

2.7 million tons, bombs
1 Democratic figure head
1 genocide
2.5 million, casualties
3 million, genocide survivors
1 American Red Cross
1 UNICEF
500 Christian missionaries
150,000 refugees
48 states
6 months, welfare
Drug abuse
Alcoholism
Gambling
Violence
Children – amount dependent on number of servings

Directions:

1. 1. Take 2.7 million tons of bombs and secretly drop over eastern Cambodia over 4 years.
   2. Then endorse 1 Democratic figure head. This will give rise Communist regime.
   3. Allow 1 genocide to take place. Gradually sprinkle in 2.5 casualties over the course of 4 years.
   4. Prepare refugee camps along the Thai border. Allow room for 3 million genocide survivors.
   5. Deploy American Red Cross, UNICEF, and Christian missionaries.
   6. Admit 150,000 refugees into the country. Scatter evenly across all impoverished neighborhoods in the lower 48.
   7. Provide 6 months of welfare; no schooling and no job training.
   8. Only provide food services and mental health support through the Church. If still Buddhist, batch is no good.
   9. Mix in drug abuse, alcoholism, gambling, violence, or any other self-destructive coping mechanism of choice.
   10. Set aside mixture and allow to ferment over 5-10 years until the desired level of bitterness is achieved. To quicken the process, frequently add in racial violence and police brutality.
   11. Dip children into ready mixture and set on the streets to serve.

(Featured photo is public domain)