ROBERT RICARDO REESE

a playground in daegu

here’s a place but not to play
a place of rocks & shame
& the spit down dripping
& every single “gorilla”       & “son of monkey”
& “damn yankee” from the hounds
a place but not to play here

as the teenagers
throw the firecrackers toward my face
& as a boy kicks the air
empty out of my lungs
as every adult
walks by the swing set
to watch the pants down ankles
the urine       stay on this playground too long
& feel how here are fists
& piss       stay on a playground & know
why a young boy keeps losing his clothes