Two Poems

part of a crowd
(two of three poems written on January 20, 2009)

1.
as we wait in the cold air
with excitement evident on our faces
the woman behind me offers
a lemon cough drop
and I accept
there is something moving about her gesture
on this day
of such huge proportions
and import

3.
projected on the JumboTron
is a live image of the waving flags
and cheering arms of the crowd
looking like a field of sakura trees
in bloom
on this cold morning
we appear on the huge screen
looking like spring

Baco Ohama, Washington, DC