a dinner

He says their language had a name for the storm surge
what has been forgotten by the language's own people

the name was kept in a vault that was kept in the marrows
between tongue and memory.

This, of course, was no surprise to every one 
seated around the table, the man to his right

had spoken on ethno-epic only an hour ago.
Every one agrees 

on memory keeping and cultural work and sense 
of identity;  the woman among them says "yam"

the night's metaphor on roots 
of self, bearing from the underground.

Of the five, two are most uncompromising; 
two, being won over

one sits noncommittal in the background.