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Monday 20 June 2016

Identity-Fake

The classic version:
Steal a face
make a mould
then the mask
sell it back
demand and obtain gratitude.

Or alternatively:
Destroy spirit
Conjure replacement
lace it with the usual poisons --
poor, underdeveloped, backward
and as Gourevitch said
the robbed inhabit
the robber's version
of their reality
and look up whispering
'rich, developed, advanced'.

But today
an identity was stolen:
picture pick
same name
new page 
and yet
hearts are hearts
like heartbeats of nations
a hundred fakes 
cannot draw spirit
cannot impoverish
cannot say 'this is who you are'.

Some hearts are not for sale
and not for stealing.