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Where I Came FromWelcome to this place I owned;my home, prison, university and universe. These are the same streets you trample on your way to your office days; Out There, I descended into their covert life; I deciphered the hidden messages in rheumy eyes stationed behind cups of coins. I learned a fresh dialect of my mother tongue, whispered or shouted into the wind that chills your face during your brief walks from parking lot to office. I joined a new tribe and faith; the saints we praised had tender hands, warm smiles, and hot meals to offer; we found shelter in packed dining halls, where we trudged in predawn gloom, drizzles and flurries. Yesterday, I marched in a church parade; children toted signs urging passersby to help the poor; ragged men on sidewalks waved and cheered; I greeted each by name. This was the place which owned me, where I slept restlessly in a cardboard mansion. This morning, I bathed beneath steamy water as my cup of tea cooled on the kitchen counter; I’ve escaped and graduated, returning only as a tourist but tonight, a thousand friends and colleagues will sleep among the brittle softness of falling leaves, and I will remember. November 1st, 2004 © David Harris posted: 2004-11-03 09:44:28 views since [2007-12-06 00:23:35]: 220 |
