Nov. 24, 1994

By Lek Borja

Darkness of the plane  America  took me backwards.
I looked beyond the seats,   ahead of me, some light,

  diffused,

                         yellow,  dark

shapes,  people proceeding down the walkway to the front

of the plane.

                                    I looked at the light

as the plane gathered speed,

the light, took me

                  back

to people

                              telling me to disrobe and bend forward as they

looked

                at my body for signs of

sickness

                  in a well-lit room

                                    The darkness drawn to Enter

the light, which became

all  a whiteness :

                                            The body of my mother out of the plane,

                                                          walking around,

                                    The body of my father out of the plane,

                                                   bending forward,

                  The bodies of my sisters out of the plane,

                                    Looking for signs,

My body out of the plane

                  Full of sickness,              

                                    Proceeding

to the light

Issue 1
Publication Date: May 17

Lek Borja was born in the Philippines and emigrated to the U.S. when she was ten years old. Her writings have appeared in national and international journals such as Lantern Review, San Francisco Press' Lady Jane Miscellany, and Society for Curious Thought, among others. She can be contacted at: lekborjastudio.com.