Where I Was Born

Where I was born fog welcomes new babies like  a swaddling blanket

And the Redwoods stand over their sleeping forms like grandparents.

The ocean sings newborns lullabies

And the tall golden grass on the hills dances for them.

Where I was born a tall mountain stands tall and lonely above us all

There’s an Indian legend that says there’s a princess tucked in that mountain, its green curves her own, and I always liked to think

She watched over me,

slightly amused smile playing across her deep emerald silhouette

Where I was born deer stand startled in the front yard, surprised to see me.

Where I was born hawks wheel in the sky like acrobats

Their endless spirals begging the question

Why ever go straight.

If I walk down the street from my childhood home ,about four blocks, turning left    at the new yellow house that hasn’t been new in years,  I  find  myself in a forest of trees more ancient and more patient than I will ever be.

These trees taught  me to stand tall and to provide a place

for leaning.

They taught me to be proud and

stoic

but always to

let my roots tangle.

I find sometimes I prefer their quiet company

to the radio chatter of spoken conversation. .

When I was born  the redwoods lent me the deep chocolate color of their trunks for my hair

And the sea foam lent me its splash for the sparkle in my eyes

I’m built of this and more

I’m built to be

Wind swept

Seaworthy

Boulder strong

and no matter where I go,

As my feet skitter across states, countries, continents

I carry in my heart

A land of ocean and wild fields,

A land of misty valleys and wise beings

I carry

Where I was born.