Hundred Paths

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Remember

Joy Harjo


Remember the sky that you were born under,
know each of the star’s stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is.
Remember the sun’s birth at dawn, that is the
strongest point of time. Remember sundown
and the giving away to night.
Remember your birth, how your mother struggled
to give you form and breath. You are evidence of
her life, and her mother’s, and hers.
Remember your father. He is your life, also.
Remember the earth whose skin you are:
red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth
brown earth, we are earth.
Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their
tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them,
listen to them. They are alive poems.
Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the
origin of this universe.
Remember you are all people and all people
are you.
Remember you are this universe and this
universe is you.
Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you.
Remember language comes from this.
Remember the dance language is, that life is.
Remember.


I believe Nature holds no sorrows and holds no judgment. Thus, I seek solace in the embrace of it to reconnect with my true essence. To remember me, the depths of me that sometimes can be overshadowed by the demands of daily life. When I step into the forest, tranquility engulfs me. Its serene nature forces me to pause, take a deep breath and allow its orchestra to enter my soul. I feel a deep sense of nourishment not only for my body but for my soul. It guides me back to myself; understanding the wholeness of my being. 


The forest reminds me to listen to my own guidance, to honor my true self in all aspects of life. I understand that the connection I have with nature is not separate from who I am but it is an integral part of me. Each time I return to nature, I continue to peel away layers, unraveling my authenticity.

Tell me, can you remember nature? Do you allow your children to?

-Hundred Paths