Karen An-hwei-Lee – Poetry
A Thousand Healing Birds
I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world. – Sadako Sasaki (1943-1955) Fold a thousand origami cranes. A wish will come true. I was only a mile from zero when the atom bomb fell. I cannot remember wishing for peace or deliverance. Neither one transpired, however -- while history still looks like this. economic recession this led to hysteria competition over resources this led to genocide conflict over territories this led to civil war scapegoating this led to genocide assassination of a leader this led to war civil war this led to famine famine and national unrest this led to war war hysteria this led to internment imperialism this led to fascism fascism this led to genocide genocide this led to war again the world imploded a short-lived peace Now I return in a dream to exhume a thousand paper cranes buried in my casket, starting with the gold one my friend Chizuko made. In this new millennium, what shall I write on their wings?
Contributor’s Notes:
Karen An-hwei Lee is an Asian American poet living and teaching in greater Los Angeles. She is the author of three poetry collections: *Phyla of Joy* (Tupelo 2012), *Ardor* (Tupelo 2008), and *In Medias Res* (Sarabande 2004), winner of the Norma Farber First Book Award from the Poetry Society of America. She dwells at the boundaries of many tongues.
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