Jiujiang, April 1999
Adoption tourists in China
on a day of rain and mist,
our tour bus stopped
and we handed our camera
forward to a stranger
near the door
who snapped
a photo of the gate
where you’d been left
with a note bearing a date
and nothing more.
Back in America,
the film developed,
we saw the picture
of a man
who’d been walking past,
umbrella tipped back.
He stood briefly,
looking into our eyes,
waiting to be memorialized
before moving on,
before rain
washed away all trace
he’d been there.
Poemblaze Blog 
bravo. an excellent piece.
j
you had me at the title matt.
your daughter’s story
my daughters’s story
our red threads
Your story is very nicely told. Great images make me happily ponder the possibilities.
Shari
looks and impermanence and tourists all playing off of each other well here….good write
The two ideas connect so subtly. A child left at the gate with a note – a man wanting someone to notice he was there: how we all want to be acknowledged, to have someone know that we’re here, that we’re alive.
In petroglyphs, the symbol of a hand with a spiral in it is very common. It simply means “I was here.” This piece reminded me of that.
Very excellent work, poet.
Thanks. Much appreciated since I know how excellent a poet you are.
Very nice indeed. Nice job capturing 2 people feeling the same way in this poem. I believe we all want to leave our footprints behind to be remembered.
Vivid and poignant.
Love this – the mysterious man in the photo – there is a story there for sure
Powerful in the messages of leaving – leaving a place, leaving something precious – and also of finding a home. The picture is amazing.
must say the comments above added value to the beautiful piece above
and very poignant:
Where Traces end …