Coordinates for Phaethon

47° 39' N; 122° 18' W
Seattle, WA

Should I have stayed Home
in the warmth of your
grounding voice
counting
down the days
up the days
until I see
since I have seen
the color of your smile
"Don't catch malaria and die"
(National Geographic front page)
You leave for Ghana
“Don’t catch the West Nile virus”
(Gwynett county on the news)
I leave for Home

33° 39' N; 84° 26' W
Gwynett County, GA

Should I have stayed Home
where the humidity
constrains me
to stay inside the walls
keep cool in the basement
with ice cubes
sliding
down my legs
open book over my face
hiding
evaporation-exhaustion
leaving for Rome
they warn about the heat

40° 24' N; 3° 41' W - 51° 30' N; 2° 20' E
Roman Empire

Should I have come back Home
where buildings sprout
atop of old buildings
older than trees
they emerge from
a clashing of languages below

J'entends une mélodie familiaire
et je la poursuis

close to the sun
the city of Babel
stands
liberated