across the seas


the Pacific Ocean was like an undulating mirror
that day the ship was on its way to Nagasaki
which for the young crew onboard meant nothing
it is incredible how quickly a war is forgotten.
Under the ocean, there were hundreds of sunken ships
there must have been much suffering and deaths
and many books were written on how successful America
had been beating the enemy into submission.
Nagasaki was like building site the Phoenix was rising
up from the ashes shinier than before.
I came across a neglected Portuguese Cemetery of mostly
young men who had succumbed to pestilence long
before Japan became a modern state
the only visible place that told of deaths the rest was
face masks because of building dust and beer.
I looked at the faces in the street this was not an oppressed
people, the war was behind them they looked at the future.