Creative response to Looking thru those Eyeholes by Russel Soaba

I wrote a poem in response to Looking thru Those Eyeholes by Russel Soaba. His poem I believe was about reconnecting with your culture/family and also about returning to your homeland. I chose to write my poem about my deceased father and how I feel lost without him.

The Grave

I once went to the grave of my

Father to see the grass and wild flowers

Had taken over and covered the writing which

Said “Here Lies Tane” etc. I waded through

The foliage only to feel myself sinking into the

Ground. I choked on the dirt and felt it fill my lungs,

When suddenly I stopped struggling and realised

I had fought so hard to reach my father and finally

I was beside him. And so I let myself drown in the

Earth and our bodies disintegrated and became food

For the flowers up above us.