REFLECTION FROM WITHIN
BY JIMMY KASHI
I stand at the door of my tiny studio apartment cell for two.
From a height of forty feet, I look past
the centuries old
blue-colored iron cell bars,
the chain link fence,
and a large wall of windows encased in concrete and grime.
I see reflections of the morning’s sunlight and
thirty-nine colorful koi swimming below the surface of the pond.
The American flag waves in the wind,
as it stands sentry in the garden.
The brisk autumn wind blows as fall brings beautiful shades of reds,
oranges, and yellows into the landscape.
Large and small pine trees
ground the garden in green.
As people walk on the avenue that borders our beloved
Memorial Healing Garden,
I wonder what they are thinking.
Do they see what I see from my reflection within? | JK
JIMMY KASHI IS A JAPANESE AND CHAMORRO MAN WITH RICH CULTURAL HISTORIES AND TRADITIONS. HE IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASIAN PACIFIC FAMILY CLUB AT OREGON STATE PENITENTIARY AND A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE GROUND BENEATH US WRITING GROUP.
