Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Deep Roots and Thin Air

Deep roots
Deep deep roots
Reaching down
Taking hold

Ancient ties
keep us close
deep roots
deep deep roots

Different colors
skin tone smudges
mosaic
that captures diversity

Sounds
Languages older than our discovery of the land
Cacophony
Symphony

Reaching down
Taking hold
This is what keeps us grounded
close to the Earth from which we came.
Deep roots.
Deep deep roots.

Thin Air

Instead of altitude sickness
instead of hallucinating
I feel stronger
think clearer
as I get higher.

I feel so impermanent
Yet invincible.

I could die any second
or I could live forever.

Take away moments like this
And I'd know something was missing
Those moments when

I could die any second
or I could live forever.


Deep roots was written at church last Sunday at Southside, which was a celebration of the Native American heritage of the congregation. Southside was originally started as a mission church, due to its proximity to the reservation on the south end of town. Sunday, church members with native origins stood up and introduced themselves and spoke of their genealogy, many of which are tied to the Tucson area for at least 4 or 5 generations. I was really struck by the rich history Southside had with the Native American population, but also by the pride and dignity with which the Native Americans spoke of their past.

Thin Air was written at the top of Mt. Wrightson, during a few moments when I managed to sneak away from the massive group of 14 and sit by myself. I don't know that the poem really captures those moments that I feel on top of mountains...that transcendent feeling of being so big and so small at the same time. But it tries.

2 comments:

  1. Good job, Luke! I'd almost given up looking for an update! ANYTHING is wonderful, and by the way, I heard from several in church who REALLY enjoyed your newsletter article!
    Love ya!
    Mom

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  2. Luke, your writing is way beautiful! I can totally identify with feeling so big and so small at the same time. It's a powerful thing that shakes you up and brings you right back down to the core of life.

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