"this place requires no passport" and sky of mind

[Lisa Walford]

We are of a Tribe, by Alberto Rios is that rare poem that left me very quiet and at peace within myself. His poetry is known for its magical-realism, which is a literary style that weaves the natural or mundane world with strands of the mythical, magical or fantasy. 

I love the juxtaposition of the ground and the sky in this poem; which speaks to me of the constant flux of the seemingly "uncertain" ground and the vast potential of sky, space, where there are no borders or fences. I made my own leap to interpret the "sky" as sky of mind, the internal vast potential of space and stillness found in meditation. Enjoy this! Read it slowly. And, see you in pranayama class!

We plant seeds in the ground

And dreams in the sky,

Hoping that, someday, the roots of one

Will meet the upstretched limbs of the other

It has not happened yet. Still,

Together, we nod unafraid of strangers.

Inside us, we know something about each other;

We are all members of the secret tribe of eyes

Looking upward,

Even as we stand on uncertain ground.

Up there, the dream is indifferent to time,

Impervious to borders, to fences, to reservations.

This sky is our greater home.

It is the place and the feeling we have in common.

This place requires no passport.

The sky will not be fenced.

Traveler, look up. Stay awhile.

Know that you always have a home here.