Live Collectively

I stand in constant time.
My reflection in the river, rippling below me,
The sharp features of my face distorted.
The river continues to flow,
My choices lie on either side.

Roots of my land striving to tangle my legs,
Sinking into the soil that raised me.
The hunched willow tree, deemed by the elders an entity of sagacity,
Still lives behind me, whispering tales of our community,
Guided by the voices of my ancestry.

The roots creep up to pry my feet from one more step toward the river.
Live collectively,
Words wisping through the wind.
Bearing down thoughts in my mind,
Searching for an individual purpose,
Beyond my tribe.

Suddenly, I peer at myself in the river,
Hoping for an answer,
And the reflection in the water spouts so I am not alone.
In the river’s mirror, they come. A vision of people around me—
A fire illuminates the question of who they could be.

They nurture me,
My tribe, my family,
And I ask myself the question I should have started with
Why would I ever abandon them?
Is the world beyond this refuge of rituals
Worth all that I’ll lose if I leave?