Family Tree

I journeyed back to the place of my origin… a journey that took years for my ancestors to reach… a place that gave me a great calm and peace.

The earth moved in a pace that is unfamiliar to the lives that call that place home. I feel as though the roots of my soul were being quenched from the waters of my family’s reservoir.

All of the familiar odors and feelings of my surroundings rushed upon me and flooded my lungs and my mind. Hidden memories flashed before my mind’s eye and replayed a lifetime of verse and rhythm… the rhythm of the heart beat of my relatives… past and present.

As I inhaled deeply the aroma of the air that had fueled my youth, I felt the acceptance of my visit. The smiles of my lineage pierced the cracks of my eyes and led me to a place of comfort and belonging.

The glimmer of light that falls upon my eyes from the smiles of my loved ones is like lightning to the sky… brightening the darkness as it flashes flares of contrast through the clouds.

At once, I felt not a visitor, but as a part of an essential component. This cog that is in my spirit seemed to fall into place… just as the music of an infant’s heart, beats in unison with its host mother.

I saw motions and heard tones that I identified as my own. I see these sparks of warmth in my own eyes and in my voice when I peer into the mirror. The genes of my father, and from his, have passed on building blocks of flesh and blood to me.

I will find a way to reach the origin of comfort, and surround myself with the arms of my family… my family tree. The branches of this tree surround its trunk and give off new life.

I long to absorb the water of this spring of life and continue my task… to journey to the place in which it began.

Shannon R Killman