guantanamera

•

     the sky is a falling sun a stone
flying through space welcome
          to hotel america
                             breakfast will be
 the light on the hooded faces the orange
      coveralls the barred cubicles the light
              a lost bird over an empty sea
      a day that will never end
 do you have any belongings what
  is your place of birth
                           check-out time is at
a palm tree casts the shadow of
      a sincere man military officials
  announce the search for a wounded deer
                  in the mountains continues
   do you know this man do you know
            this man when did you
     first meet this man do you
             know this man being
transferred to another facility effective
    huge flashes of light explosions
      dropping from the sky along
                             the tigris the night
   a dream of shattered glass
                                   explosions
on the mud huts detainees
   temporarily housed in the back
          of a truck awaiting
                         final disposition
 palm trees in green light the sea
    is a cacophony of winged sirens
             red fire on golden water
the soldier stands with automatic rifle
    the prisoner kneels handcuffed
                                  in orange coveralls
    an age that stretches away without end
  a wire service news photo of
             a hole in the ground no date
     has been set for release sources
                            close to the investigation
standing in front of the cameras the president
        draws a picture of a sincere man
with the poor people of the earth he says
             i want to gamble fate a small stream
in the mountains he emphasizes
                             has as much potential
  for economic development as the ocean
    the sun falls through the sky
        our voices rise in the bright street
gathering at the locked gates
          of exxon and halliburton history
we shout does not belong to you
              your days will come to an end
        we are the hammer and the nails
     the song and the words the memory
                          and the footsteps and the story
     the sky is a rose unfolding on the shore
  the flags we carry a field of red carnations
                                         filling the street
    filmed from a distance soldiers
           lead a man in orange coveralls
     along a path behind a wire fence
                  he walks with short steps his
             ankles chained together his wrists
       chained together the legal status
of the detainees a colonel tells reporters
                      remains to be determined
         do you have any dietary needs or
    medical conditions what is your
 the earth is a history that has not ended
     a senator tells a reporter the memo
  raises serious questions
                                 police cars
  in the street police sawhorses in
        the street our voices and footsteps
                  coming up the street
a white house spokesperson had
                                         no comment
  a reporter in front of a camera says
             sources remained unclear
   a year comes to an end
cherry blossoms along the potomac broken
      arms and broken legs
                                 along the tigris the
  long-range forecast calls for below-normal
   temperatures and above-normal precipitation
              the president leaves by the back entrance
          accompanied by several people the
                                   helicopter is waiting he
          says something to one of his aides
  turns quickly grins and winks at reporters
      and keeps walking briefly waves
            his hand off to the side
                                 brushing away flies