I flee exploding
red streaks
in night skies
mortar attacks
booming in my ears
nomadic wanderers in tents
ride donkeys
seek safety on
the steep terrain
of Tora Bora
I stand
with a few belongings
in a truck
the abyss below
and dizziness
take away my balance
and I fall
onto the rocky precipice,
injuring my back.

We flee the coldness of
mountain air the
ice-covered passages
into a new land
far away from ranges
in the sky,
but Tora Bora’s grasp
invades my dreams
her bony fingers
intrude on my reality
squeeze me so tight
that I can not
sit or stand for long.
Medication soothes
the pain in my back
but can not
take away
Tora Bora’s might.