Hanako's Dreams

At five,
They took away her name.
And gave her another
More Americanized but
Ironically
Reflecting another country we
Had just had a war with.

At five too
She had already endured
The pangs
Of the Spanish Flu
And saw
Her house burnt down.
Lost as the result of
Something only Men seem to fight for
She lost her dolls then,
A tragedy
To one
Only five years old.

At twenty six
She saw fire again,
This time the burning was from
American ships
And American men
Dying in a Harbor.
She had to hide her name once more
To avoid the blame
That came
With another war.

At thirty
She met a man
Whom she married for
Another thirty years plus five
She cried then
At his funeral
Comforting her granddaughter
Who was also crying,
By saying
“He can see now.”

At ninety six
With her name back again
She dreams now.
Half awake even when awake
Drifting in and out
Of memories
Over ninety years old
Remembering
The tragedy of the lost dolls,
Of people long gone
Now coming to visit her,
Reliving old hurts
And smiling at old joys
Weaving an endstory
To the girl
Who once lost her name.

eyk