Earl Kim
Again, this year,
during the season of flowers,
hummingbirds fly into Texas.
One blistering summer day, last year,
a group of migrants attempted to cross the border,
sitting in a truck container
of unbreathable density.
Eight young children died there,
and are now flying in,
becoming hummingbirds
of eight colors.
Leaving Central and South America,
venturing through Mexico,
crossing the curved canyon of the Rio Grande,
and moving past the dusty, windy border,
they are flying in,
flapping their translucent wings.
Every year,
there are neighbors who
welcome these guests.
One fills her front yard with
hummingbird’s favorite flowers:
Trumpet Creeper, Daylilies, and Lantana.
While another fills his red bird feeder
with sugar water.
When the eight forgotten souls
come back to life with wings
and receive this beautiful hospitality
for the first time abroad,
the hummingbirds of eight colors fly
into a dream,
a dream that knows
no border.
