If I should move

I I should move to Guatemala,
I could teach English
and, perhaps, read my poetry
to a captive audience
of teenagers.

If I should move to Guatemala,
I could volunteer to excavate
the newest Maya ruins,
60,000 structures discovered from space
with the latest scientific technology.

If I should move to Guatemala
to teach English and read my words
to teenagers, I could expect
to earn five hundred
to six hundred dollars in a year.

If I should move to Guatemala
to assist with reclamation of a city,
long dead and concealed by jungle,
I might find full-pottery vessels,
or pristine terracotta figurines of deity.

Holding an ancient piece of an artist’s
handiwork and trying to feel as one
with the creator is one thing,
but looking into the eyes
of a thirteen year old

and seeing hope,
akin to love,
would be,
a lifetime in coming,
and priceless.