We arrived by oddly shaped boats,
Crafts designed to navigate the smallest river tributaries.
We had no idea of what awaited us,
For never before had we needed food to survive,
Air to breathe, or water to slack our thirst.
We came from far away.
So far that distance calculated by measurement makes no sense.
And so we traveled by energy beam
Until we landed in this foreign land.
After many eons, we learned
How to make new boats,
How to gather berries and plants for health and delight,
How to make peace with the animal kingdom
That nourished us and the planet around us.
Then we moved inland,
And our people diversified over centuries and eons
Into the broad wilderness of the planet.
We were not perfect when we came
And we are not perfect now.
But we have gathered a patina of light
And a core of wisdom,
Wisdom that came from earth’s soil, granite, and seed pockets,
And from the bowels of creatures who gave their lives for our sustenance.
We carried with us the dimly remembered constructs of Holy Order
And these were further imprinted upon us
As much by sunlight, rain, and wind as storms
That stretched our boundaries and widened our vision.
We are the Seekers,
We are the Gatherers.
We live still in the woods and forests and rock outcroppings
We still fish in ponds and streams,
Worship in the valleys
And commune with the hills.
We gather for the benefit of all that shelter on earth’s crust,
All that benefit from her largesse -
And all that are in turn are destroyed by her fury.
We rise up now in a time of need,
A watershed moment.
Look for us.
Let your gaze soften and see our shadowy figures
Still going about our daily chores
To allow habitat on the planet.
We will give you joy.
We will connect you with your roots.
For all of you came from somewhere else
At some point in time.
April 27, 2022