Charlie in the Tunnel

In the dark tunnel I saw you,
rodent like in my heart.
The ground shook above us, the grenades
resounding like thuds of heavy rain.
I felt the sweat of your hate,
Your body, quiet and still in the darkness,
waiting to kill me.
Here, I knew you and I belonged
in the underground struggle.
In the flick of an eyelid
I could not call you the enemy
in your own land.
Your glance was human--
even when cornered--our breathing stilled
by the hidden fright in us.
I backed out of the damp darkness,
telling my comrades above ground,
“The tunnel is cold!”

~~ Luis Lázaro Tijerina