Philip Terman: Such Abundance

Almost evening, she leads
her old friend around the garden, 
pausing at each raised bed, 
 
the black Buddhist robes
covering up his US Army 
service number tattooed 
 
along his muscular arm. 
Back then, he did it all:
the divorce, the heroin,
 
the anger, the abandoned
son.  When he called for help,
they put him on hold
 
longer than he could stand 
and he broke
the phone in half.
 
Never without a gun.
And then Nam. 
How many did I kill ?
 
12-Step-everything, 
The meditation. And then
he started walking. Auschwitz
 
to Vietnam.
I took the first step, 
and I knew. I knew.
 
Strolling in the soft light,
a bald-headed bird hovering above
the lettuce, the onions,
 
the garlic, the tomatoes,
the potatoes. All this growth! 
Such abundance!

Copyright 2019 Philip Terman

Philip Terman is the author of Our Portion: New and Selected Poems, published by Autumn House.