Twenty Boys
— for my dear Etop Precious Iniobong — Monsieur le Paka-paka-paka, twenty boys,barefoot,chased a ballthrough dust and dusk. They shared breath,shared salt,shared spit,shared bruises,shared breadshared the suninside their laughter. But time…time grew teeth. One found war.One found work.One found wealth.One joined the army.One boarded a bus.One forgot his name.One buried another.One wandered offnever returned.Others?Forgotten! Now the ball lies stillin…
