Traveling to a Sacred Site (audio poem)

On By Michele LeeIn Arizona Adventures, Audio, nature, Outdoor Adventures, Verse
Traveling to a Sacred Site (audio poem)
Driving and driving until the cars were few
Quiet expansive lands enveloping me and you
Stretched miles cleared our heads and our minds
An afternoon rain washed away attachments
To the locked down civilization left behind

Watching the droplets tumble down the glass
Wanting to stop and join them in their dance
Twirling, letting the cool fresh rains soak in
Spinning, making me whole and new again
Only spinning tires as I watch the drops
Splat, splash, merge, separate, and pop

Rain no longer contained only outside, the scent
Of soaked creosote, saltbush, and sage, crept in
Aromas that became a flood, came slowly at first
Breathing in a mixture of heaven and earth

One afternoon, a lifetime contains
One afternoon, brings soul cleansing rains
One afternoon, quenches and brings life
One afternoon, elevates the pilgrims inside

Grateful to shift focus, beyond a screen
To view the horizon, to imagine, to dream
To steal a glance (if not a dance) and to know
This moment brings balance and a chance to roam

Driving further from what we know
Traveling into a scene from long ago
Ghosts who traversed these lands before
Exploring on horseback, wagon, or foot
Worlds apart from the likes of us
Kept dry in our waterproof truck

Ascending in body and mind
Toward a Sacred Hopi Site
Where the winds lift a hawk in solo flight
Me and nature folded together, we both begin to stir
Gazing at Mesas, I hear protective spirits whisper
Secrets shared along the Little Colorado River
Collapsed walls and scattered pottery shards
Emptiness and brokenness are only a façade
The Anasazi still move through the grasses and walls
Inviting all pilgrims to join, to honor, to dance
I listen; this time I accept

Askwali
Hopi expression of gratitude (feminine)

Thank you for traveling with me, on a pilgrimage of sorts, to the cultural site of Homolovi State Park in Winslow, Arizona. Although a visitor on the Sacred land of the Hopi Tribe, I felt welcomed, connected, and changed by the experience. 🌄 Enjoy your weekend. 🌞 Michele

Thank you for the positive support on the release of our second Being a Woman illustrated poetry book. 🙏🏻📖💗 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GFX5JK9

Arizona State Parks Homolovi website: https://azstateparks.com/homolovi/hopi/about-hopi

Pictures 1-3: Ruins of a “typical room,” pottery shards Picture 4: Photo of Hopi woman (1944), taken in the Visitor’s Center

© 2019-2023 MyInspiredLife

28 thoughts on “Traveling to a Sacred Site (audio poem)”

  1. acmbell

    Awesome poem, Michele. Driving in the rain is one of the most cleansing experiences there is. Same as walking or running in it, except it is easier on old bones. I’ll post later, but had to give you this instant response. And your destination! Yes, indeed.

    Al

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  2. asumoftheparts

    Arizona is such an amazing place—my birthplace. Only as an adult and a traveler, did I realize the vastness of the secrets she holds, and that we, her people, past and present, must continue to hold and respect. Your poem brought back memories of traveling across miles of Navajo Nation land North, and of the vastness and beauty of Monument Valley. Thanks for capturing for me. Vicki

    >

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    1. Thank you Vicki, fellow native. 🥰 We used to be a rare breed, not so much anymore. I am so happy to read that my poem brought back [special] memories for you. With somewhere around 5 million people, the greater Phoenix area has its share of people now; fortunately, we still have plenty of open land to explore, as long as we are able and willing to drive. 😊 Let’s hope that doesn’t change.

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  4. What a description!! I was traveling with you and all my senses felt and experienced through your words the journey.
    This is soul stirring work , Michele. That is all of your heart , pure and beautiful filled with the wisdom of life. That’s what I read and felt and lived through this immense piece of writing..
    Thank you for the pictures too. You give your best to us. Bless you.

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  5. I don’t know that anyone will see this comment and it is OK if no one does. No other reader, but me, will not diminish the joy I just experienced. It is August 29th and we just had our first, and very late, monsoon rain of the season. Guess what I did? I went outside and twirled in the rain. It was glorious (and emotional). Seize those moments! 🌧💓⛅

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  6. acmbell

    Fabulous! Mary and I are going to dinner to celebrate 56 years of marriage and we get to sit outside! I do hope some twirling opportunity opens up! Singing in the rain is one thing; twirling? Well, that’s in a whole other class by itself.

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    1. Congratulations! 💕 Enjoy your evening.🥂 Thank you for sharing that wonderful news. And I thought no one would see my last message. You caught me! Commenting and twirling. The rains and twirling did not last long, but they were both joyful. 😊

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  10. It sounds appealing ~ traveling to “a scene from long ago”, a place for ones spirit to soar, a pilgrimage to peace on Sacred land. Thank you for sharing your experience through poetry, Michele, and I also enjoyed your lovely photograph(s) 🌞

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    1. It is a special place. A quiet scene, surrounded by beautiful lands. Abandoned long ago by the early inhabitants, but the spirit of the place is very alive. At least I thought so. It was my pleasure to share – thank you for reading and appreciating. 😊🌻

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  11. I love this post! The poem perfectly describes the rain in the desert. I could smell the aromas of fresh rain, creosote, saltbush, and sagebrush. (And I love it when the raindrops hang from the creosote bushes like little diamonds.) The photos and video are very educational. Although I’ve been to Winslow several times, I never went onto the Hopi reservation. Very interesting little town! Thanks for sharing your visit with us.

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    1. I appreciate how you remind me of older posts. Thank you, Dawn. Rain in the Sonoran Desert – nothing quite like it! Everyone should experience it at least once. That was a special trip, a magical experience traveling to and walking that sacred site. 💖 Thanks again for taking me back to it. 🙏🏻

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