A picture of a picture at Ellis Island and the inspiration for my May, 1991 poem.
This poem was published in the anthology “A Sea of Treasures” in 1995. It was the first thing I had written to be published.
Ellis Island
The beds lie in
Soldier rows
ten by five
Steel frames that are
more of a home
to roaches
Paint peels off
and rust
corrodes the springs
mattresses full
of lice
and
rats
burrowing in
The beds are pushed
against walls
where paint chips
fall
No sheet
no blanket
just a pillow
to rest a
weary head