TRANSPLANTS
They say when you lose a limb
It itches even in its absence.
The mind feels what was there
In spite of the void of flesh and nerve.
And the heart of another
Surgically replacing the failed and broken one
May carry the soul of the one
Who gave up the heart.
The muscle inside carries the memory of the soil it grew in.
They say
You can take the boy out of Arkansas
But you can't take the Arkansas out of the boy
This is true
Especially when he's had too much to drink
And is arguing politics or religion.
The roots of region and culture linger like the leg
The roots are like electric memory
Roots run deep in plants.
Roots run deeper in people.
The act of uprooting and relocating creates unusual mixtures.
Combinations that couldn't exist without the distance closed.
They say
The most American dessert contains
Fruit from Asia, a vessel from Egypt and spices from Europe.
I'm pretty sure most Apple Pies are undocumented.
