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Badges
there are those who remember everything
in everything
as if they had never vowed to forget it
they travel to markets on buses
with their memories
and once a year or every day
on their seldom-bared arms you may discern
imprinted codes, which deciphered, remind
us of the contents of a small leather suitcase
wherein reside
yellow photographs of family members
who are reflected in the gallery of names
that line memorial walls
the named immortalizing the nameless
no tears escape their eyes
save from your own, watching them
going about their daily routines
with badges of dried memories
stitched to their clothing
© Johnmichael Simon
2012
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