Wanted Man

Victor Alcindor

I search sullied paths for a well built
coffee grounds-colored man who might be my father.
He’s known for his chartreuse eyes - daggers 
and a mouth that spews quicksand
                                                  to
                                                           desperate
                                                                               women.
Have you seen him, Miss?

He’s known to frequent country markets
where peasant girls part thighs with hope.
He’s known to race in and star 
in the role of lover, friend, and part-time father.
I’ve only been privy to a cameo.

Have you seen him, Miss?

I hope he’s landed in Fort Dimanche
— an uneducated fervor for politics.

I pray to see his gaunt figure
— a casualty of lust.
No AZT for poor Haitians.

I want him to encounter himself 
— even yearn for news of his demise.

I once searched for a man who might be him -
but walked away with calloused feet, weary eyes,
cracked lips, and a scorched soul.

*Fort-Dimanche (Dungeon of Death) is a jail where Haitian political figures and felons faced horrendous mental and physical cruelties. 

*AZT- medication developed in the late 80s and considered at the time to be a successful form of treatment for HIV/AIDS infected individuals.

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