Voyages of My Mind

9. For China, Who Claims the West Philippine Sea

You claim
that it is yours
because in ancient times
you said it was already yours.
You seem to equate
history
with affinity.

Following your rule,
then America
should be claimed by the Indians alone,
who were really not Indians

(They were claimed by Europeans who claims that Europe is separated from Asia.)

So a part of the Netherlands
should be claimed by 
the oceans as well
as the North Pole to the bears
and the South to the penguins
and all the Chinatowns
around the world
should be yours then
without question
I suppose?

Even I---
should be claimed
by my first love
who had a child
at nineteen
with a man
who claimed her at eighteen.
Wouldn't it be 
ridiculous
claiming her back
just because we had
a rich and historic past
together
just like yours?