We Are of a Tribe
by Alberto RiosWe plant seeds in the ground
And dreams in the sky,Hoping that, someday, the roots of one
Will meet the upstretched limbs of the other.It has not happened yet.
We share the sky, all of us, the whole world.Together, we are a tribe of eyes that look upward,
Even as we stand on uncertain ground.The earth beneath us moves, quiet and wild,
Its boundaries shifting, its muscles wavering.The dream of sky is indifferent to all this,
Impervious to borders, fences, reservations.The sky is our common home, the place we all live.
There we are in the world together.The dream of sky requires no passport.
Blue will not be fenced. Blue will not be a crime.Look up. Stay awhile. Let your breathing slow.
Know that you always have a home here.
I found this poem in Poetry of Presence: An Anthology of Mindfulness Poems, edited by Phyllis Cole-Dai and Ruby R. Wilson, Grayson Books, 2017. Information about the poet can be found here.
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You can find A Gathering of Poetry every month . . . on the third Thursday.
Share some.
Read some.
Gather up some poetry!
(Bonny is hosting a special link-up for A Gathering of Poetry. Be sure to check it out!)
This feels like a great poem for these times, a reminder that we all share this one world. Thank you for this.
Beautiful choice, Kym! Alberto Rios is a new-to-me poet. And this book is likewise new-to-me! (and this is a poem I am putting in my journal! Thank you!)
I am sitting here in my chair gazing at the blue sky and you’ve provided the perfect poem to accompany my gazing. I love the last four lines and will be repeating them to myself today. Thank you for sharing!
Another new-to-me poet and another beautiful poem. It is perfect to be included in “Poetry in Presence.” Thank you for sharing Kym.
That poem really does welcome us to be present. Thank you for choosing it to share with us.
“A tribe of eyes”. I love that! Great poem, Kym.
This is a very nice poem. I have a copy of that anthology. It’s always interesting to return to it and find something new in a poem.