Immigrant

They came from many lands,
with dreams of a better life,
lured by the promise of fortune
if only they worked hard enough,
fame if they hit the immigrant lottery.
Humble folk, they settled for quiet pretense,
masked disappointment with hard work,
banked hope for future generations,
clung to memories of a homeland
abandoned for a better life,
that languished in sepia-toned images.

Two battered suitcases couldn’t hold much,
totems and talismans were left behind,
roots anxiously traded for wings.
Their nostalgia was food – a link to
happy times and family bonds
that lingered in the senses,
a tangible loss, and enduring love,
gifting them courage through storm-tossed waves.
Sun-soaked harvests and wine,
the fruits of their industry,
their thank you to their new home.

Immigrant

Now we honor them with tradition,
music, lore, and generosity,
a table that groans with plenty to share,
a gift of welcoming inclusion,
a stubborn clinging to identity.
As the sun draws the curtain
on an abundant summer, the warm air
fills with fragmented sentences, threading
together history, tales, and stories.
Our gratitude rises to starry skies,
reunion buoys our hopes for the future.