making the pilgrimage
harsh winds, dust and hot sun are
too much for this sansei,

with contact lens
and fluorescent light frailty

taking cultural photos,
rice balls with takuan and lisa

people doing tanko bushi
young and old

seeing bits of shattered china, shattered lives

paying my respect to the former internees
making the pilgrimage...
one more time.

4/27/96


Previously published in The World is Yours ' zine. Additional writings by Jenni Emiko Kuida are:

Dancing With Grace - Gracious and Graceful - Published in The Rafu Shimpo 1/30/02
Manzanar After Dark - Published in The Rafu Shimpo 4/14/99
Camp Pilgrimages and the 4th of July - Published in the Rafu Shimpo 7/2/96