In [our] history, [it] has its own history and its own memory. It connects beings with their origins. To retrace its path is then to embark on an adventure in which the destiny of a single word becomes one with that of a community; it is to undertake a passionate and enriching quest for all those who may live in your name. – Elie Wiesel
the vessel and the sea
it has been written for a generation on the face of a massive freighter,
importing the spines of the prickly pears
and the desert flower that blooms sunset-fire colors
before the dawn catching the first light of the day,
it traveled from there to here.
the wind of the generations shifted and turned,
the container ship still afloat on the distant horizon.
now it is dwarfed by the scope of the new boats
that swell in size with the waves.
it is tossed in the channel like a starfish amongst the current.
it is written for a new generation on the face of a minute freighter,
carrying the cargo of a different desert,
a new import of sabras
and the orange tree whose seedlings were planted amongst the sand of today
and budding in the market square of tomorrow’s city.
it traveled from elsewhere to here.
nearly unrecognizable to some generations,
today the vessel’s name is textured and weathered.
underneath it repeats written in characters foreign,
the paint still fresh
but the curves of the letters have known centuries of textures and weathers.
another journey begins,
shipping out from the familiar shore,
away from the kindred of large tankers,
the safety of the calm waters of the port,
towards the final destination invisible upon the horizon.
blessed is the name
and the cargo
the journey
and the wind
