Unspoken
seven days
before Christmas
found myself
standing in a stable
watching children
gallop in sandy circles
the land is open
beyond the wooden fence
the gates
things are simple here
like apple orchards
like a mare
with her slow gait
a hush within a hurricane
she lets small hands
lead her
poses for a picture
listens to them talk
pat her goodbye
she heads to her stall
and we head to our car
and there’s another car
pulling in
and the kids get out
their mother I know
from school
we chat the usual
I look over
and see the window
rolled down
there’s a woman on the passenger side
I go over to say, “hello”
it’s her mother visiting from Korea
in the very back seat
sits her father
I wave hello
they get out of the car
and we’re all standing there talking
they in their Korean
me in my English
the daughter is translating
she tells them I was born in Seoul
and adopted
they look at me …
they see me
we hug each other
they walk over to my daughter
they hold her close
I need no translator
TL