ancestral vacuum

it is like fall descended upon my body today 

or emerging from the inside 

a sharp turn inward

and a return to grief 

i am returning, this fall 

i am journeying the path homeward 

and reaching into the past with 

respect and curiosity 

what are the foods of my people? 

what are the earth-based rituals of my people? 

what is the music of my people? 

what are the stories?