POPULATION

This time

when we wait

in the water giver’s line,

I hear one tell another about

so many thousands

living at Kalma.

That is a strange number.

So many thousands.

I try to make sense of it.

So many thousands of everywhere bodies.

So many thousands of nomads, wandering nowhere.

So many thousands, torn from tribal villages.

So many thousands of bellies, hungry for home.

So many thousands, aching for safety.

So many thousands of hearts, longing.

Here is the problem:

So many thousands of nomads + bellies +

souls + hearts + wandering + torn

+ hungry + aching + longing =

too many

tragedies

to count.

Even Old Anwar’s

knack for mathematics

can’t add it all up.

To me,

this is a hard lesson.

Math is useful,

but makes my head hurt.