Finally the slide doors open
Between the journey’s end and the arrival
You pass through no man’s land
Wondering why customs differ
While customs officers seem alike
Once again you have let them down
No diamonds squeezed into your toothpaste
No gold rings sewn into your underclothes
You brought their god no single offering
No pardon is returned
Finally the slide doors open
A new room, and innumerable eyes
Searching for a much greater treasure
They glance at you—and their disappointment
Hits you like a perfunctory blow
In the stomach. It is not you they seek
Someone else shall receive the seed
From which allegiance springs: a smile
A welcome kiss and a warm embrace
None of them bear your name
Finally the slide doors close
And there you stand—a stranger
Guilty of being innocent
Guilty of being unknown
