art poetry

“A Fishing Tall Tale”
“An Issei man describes and embellishes the size of his catch with wide spread hands to a passing fisherman on his way back from the river with his catch, Fishing is a favorite pastime for my father and many Issei, who are allowed to walk to the Colorado River and use balls of Wonder Bread for bait. The WRA is no longer concerned that internees leave the campgrounds to fish, as there is no place to run or escape.” (Poston was the only camp not surrounded by barbed wire tk.)

“Dust Storm”
“Dust is a harsh weather condition of the Sonoran desert… The dust is in everything, entering between floorboard cracks and knotholes, ending up in hair, eyes, mouths, and food.”

“Shadows on the Wall – Camp Violence/Woman With Hammer”
“Domestic and gang violence occurs in the camps… A volatile situation is played out in a bedroom apartment-the threatening actions of three men and one female are exploding into violence: one silhouetted figure reaches out to either strangle or push back the hammer wielding woman while two men stand behind him with arms raised to either prevent or join in the attack.”

“Sleepless Night – Fighting Behind the Curtain”
“Loss of privacy and confined living arrangements often divided families and created generational gaps of turmoil. Women, especially mothers found camp life difficult, particularly with respect to feeding, washing, bathing, supervising and protecting their children.”

“The Ambulance”
“The doctor arrives by ambulance to transport his patient, a common practice due to the distances between the hospital and the three camps… Poston Hospital provides some basic dental services such as tooth extractions, fillings and general healthcare physicals and immunizations… But the hospital is greatly understaffed and lacks many supplies and equipment to support the large population (xx,xxx incarcerees tk).”

“Run to the Women’s Toilet”
“… my mother races for the bathroom with arms pumping in a runner’s stride. The women’s communal flush toilets are inconveniently located and fitted with army issue toilet seats designed for soldiers. Mothers with children, the sick and elderly suffer greatly. Small children must be supervised for fear of falling through the seats to land in a raw sewage pit.”

“Our First Meal – Not Out Kind of Food” 2/13/1943
“… an Issei man sits on a bench at a wooden picnic table and grimaces in disgust at the thought of eating hot dogs with catsup on Wonder Bread for his first camp dinner.”

“The Train – Issao and Mutsushi See the Desert”
“… as they endure the thirty-hour train ride (from tk to the Poston prison camp) Gene is dressed in a suit. His signature forelock is swept to the right, as he looks out the window with his brother, worrying about their uncertain future.”