written for the "Land of the Muse" challenge. To use the phrase: " Life is a journey"

Life is a Journey





This journey begin in the mountains,
On the worn paths of my ancestors,
They sought to protect us in the hidden valleys,
To raise us in the old ways,
Untouched my modern man…

This journey begin on trails century old,
Carried on the backs of our mothers,
Wrapped in somber blankets,
Hidden from the hatred and fear,
Of those who condemned our beliefs.

The old ones were weary,
Yet they found the strength to teach us,
“Life is a journey”, they said,
And you must walk in harmony with the earth,
“Listen to your heart” they told us,
“Follow the ways of our people,
You must learn to listen to everything.

The breeze will tell you many things,
And the trees have secrets,
The stone too has its story,
If you stop to listen…”

We did not hear them.
We ran to the city below,
Thinking they were old and stale,
And we wanted the new world!

The world broke us,
And we lost our way.
We came home one by one,
The mountain called to us.

We missed her strong shoulders,
And gentle beauty,
We missed the clean rivers,
And sweet waters,
We missed our grandfather’s wisdom,
And gentle teachings…

We missed our mother,
And her loving acceptance of our rebellion;
We came home expecting retribution,
But when we went to our grandfathers,

They took the pipe and tobacco,
And sent a message to the spirit world,
Giving thanks and blessings to clear our way…
I asked him how he could forgive us,
For running away and forgetting,
Where we came from…

And he said;
“My sweet child,
Life is a journey,
And every child must find their way,
The path is hard and crooked,
But always returns to its source,
And you have not returned here with empty hands,
You have brought back hope.”

I laid my head on his knee,
And he blessed me,
Wiping away my tears,
I spend my days listening now,
To everything;

This journey ends in the mountains,
I have found my way again.
I am home.