If only I had dogs to play with,
People to share my worries with,
Family to keep me grounded,
Perhaps I would not have left Japan.
“Better life” beckoned us
But I felt unsafe,
Uncomfortable,
Anxious.
From place to place–
Utah, Parker, Greeley–
We searched for identity
But never found it,
Separated from the others by
Language and money and looks.
It took seven years
For Greeley to be our home,
For us to find comfort,
Community,
Happiness.
Now, content with our present
We immerse ourselves in the past,
Museums to give us images
Of the places we left behind,
Of memories we never lived,
Of those who feel the same.
Because we know how they feel,
Because they said goodbye,
Because alienation
Is a disease we can fight.
