What poem will you wear, when first we meet?

How will I recognition-you,
when you transverse my land?
Unknown our faces, our voices,
Only silent words electronic exchanged

Will lantern, it be: one, if by land, two, if by sea?
Will your ID badge, passport stamped and state,
Your chest bear a witness-sign?

The Arrivals Board flashes:
                    une poétesse est arrivé
                    eine Dichterin ist angekomme
                    a poetess has arrived
                    una poetisa ha llegado

Will there be a haiku in your hair,
A limerick exposed by raucous grin,
Or just ten words
allotted for your entire visit?

Desperate to locate
Urgent to sensate
Matters I take
Into two cupped hands,
On the shoeshine stand
Climb and recite-shout

Know me by my words,
Know me by the lilt lyrical
Of my American accented,
Canadian Tongue of my mother

Know me by my words,
Carved by time on my forehead,
Poetry is the blood of this fool's soul,
Hear me, find me, look upon me slamming

Poems are the thorns in my palms,
See me crucified, bleeding stanzas
Upon my shoeshine stand cross
Recitation resuscitation welcoming:

Benedicting Gloria, Gloria, Gloria

But if this should fail your attention to secure,
Or the TSA unappreciate my second coming,
Look for the crowd gathered round,
A man of moderate height, in a tall hat,
Beard scraggly, looking sorrowful
Reciting the Gettysburg Address

Either way,
Should be easy peasy to find me,
Grab your bag, off to short-term parking

This is how an Americana poet meets n' greets
Arriving poetess from a foreign land

Is there any other way?
------------------------------
Postscipt
Alas, five years on and I know in my heart
that you are not coming...

My local pharmacy
was exceptionally busy today
Worriedly,I scan the pharmacy line
For any signs of people;
coughing, sick, in any way

I don’t have a mask I’m not protected
My mind is freaking me out
after all those people came
For medication
of one kind or another

People are dying
Have they been around
Someone with the flu
Nursing them, contagious

Nervously I wait.
They call my name
No information,silently
The pharmacist grabs an arm,
sticks the needle in my arm
gives me the shot
Pushes the medicine in
Hands me a paper
Consequently Telling me , as he walks away
“It takes ten days before Your protected”
I sit there swimming with questions
He is gone

As I walk from the store
Several sensations occur immediately
My arm hurts instantly
At the shot sight
Although the needle was tiny
throbbing pain works it’s way
Down my whole arm

By the time I start the car
My head is pounding
Within the first block
My head is pounding so much
It hurts behind my eyes

Anxiety of the unknown symptoms  sets in
I have alway been very careful
Getting behind the wheel of a car
On any medication
“I can make it home”
I chant as I drive
“I’m close, almost there”

My body feels strange
I’m home in 7 minutes
I’m safe breath, sigh relax

My chest feels like someone’s sitting on it
It’s hard to breathe
My oxygen saturation level
drops into the mid 80s

I make sure my husband knows
Where the paperwork is
As I explain to him all my symptoms
Reactions to the flu shot

I feel euphoric
nauseous consumesme, holding it in
Vomiting is dangerous for me taking
time releases medications
I take something for the stomach
Pulling on my pjs And climbing into bed
Making dinner, not an option

I wake up 4 hours later
My symptoms have leveled out
The chest still tight breathing a bit less labored
However,All other symptoms
Have become an aching in all my joints
I mange to eat leftovers
my stomach feels better

My head still in a fog
The next day is a struggle
To get moving
I realize how strong
this strain of the flu is

I get the flu shot every year
And have never experienced
These reactions

I know everyone is different
But take caution when getting the flu shot
Go home immediately afterwards
Preferably have someone with you

Has anyone else noticed
Posting problem
After awhile the page
does not work properly
I have to post in draft then
Return to make changes
The line curser act crazy
Or is it just me
Inquirig minds wamt to know
I know of one fellow poet who left
Because of such problems

The faces we show
in the work field,
 Our business or to
our Boss,and customers
The faces we show
at church,
when we ask for
forgiveness and pray
The faces we show
our friends,
Even those differ
with each person

All predicated  
by the walls we so
carefully construct
strategically hiding
who we really are

The faces we show
a loved one
When we
Let down
the walls

The faces we show
to the innocent children
are the most honest  
depending upon
the age of the youth

The inner me is in
direct contrast
to who I am
The only time
we show
our true face
Is when we
look in the mirror

Do we know
who is looking
back at us
Do we like
what we see
Is it you?
is it me?
Push away

We are all
masters in  disguise
Hiding in plain sight

The inner me
is in direct
contrast to
who I am

What I see
in the mirror
I think
HECK NO
Who is that
old lady
looking back
at me

My faces
have deceived
Even Me!

We are the voice of our generation
From all walks of life
Sharing our joy and pain

We are representatives of a society that struggles
We feel the passion to voice our views
We are stirred to write  out of necessary
A yearning to voice our thoughts

Well after we are gone our words are forever in print
For future generations to study and learn
Who we were and what we were thinking And WHY
Our struggles, our points of view matter more the we will ever know

Our voice matters
While we need to respect other points of views
We must also stand strong  for what be truly believe
Defending our hope, pride, and the American way

In other countries people right to freely say what they think
Is not permitted
Stifled by a leadership serpressing their freedom and voice
Their opinions

As long as we are free and proud our voice must be heard
In retrospect this is a tremendous honor and burden
To be the voice of reason for our Generation