In Seven Miles

CATEGORY

life

They whispered to us
Collectively
Told us of the seven more miles to go
Promised land clearly in view
Tonight
we travel under a cloudless 
Perfect 
nocturnal hue
twinkling stars above us guiding our path
Illuminated in 
red
Black 
and green
The most perfect night 
Our eyes have ever seen

They whispered to us
Collectively
That we have seven more miles to go
Coming this far by faith
Trusting in a most forgiving God
Singing 
stony the road we trod
Not looking back to remember
the sting of the whip or the chastening rod

Collectively determined 
to get to our promised land
And restore our once great nation which lies up the road
Ghosts 
Whispering to us behind the signs along the way
northern lights also tell us so
The whispering 
Gentle voices
Telling us
Collectively
That we have seven more miles to go

Quiet steady footsteps in unison
Family to my left and to my right
Hammer and nails and glue
Our waists holding work belts tied tight
Fresh lumber and dusty old blueprints
written with the blood and tears of our ancestors
they used to own the stores where we once shopped
bought our Sunday-Go-To-Meeting clothes
where our Sunday dinner meat was chopped
the church where we sang and prayed
shimmied
worshipped and swayed
the fruits of their labor 
we foolishly 
collectively forgot
prodigal children, we were
spending our earnings elsewhere
and then one day
returning to a dusty nothingness
cracks in the sidewalks
an empty parking lot

And they whisper to us
Behind the signs along the road
That we have seven more miles to go
Passing the lights of seven more towns 
Until we
Collectively 
Can plant stakes 
Once again
and settle in our new promised land
Renewing
rebuilding our community
With the sweat labor of each determined hand

And so unusual it is 
to not be guided by stars twinkling in white
Red
Black 
and green stars
Guiding our footsteps this frigid night
It being best that we no longer travel by day
wayward steps we took when the sun once was high
It is how we 
Collectively 
lost ourselves along the way
Our ancestors showing us in a dream
Their voices 
whispering behind the road signs in the cool evening air
eyes focused forward
slow
unified steps
they tell us that we have seven more miles 
to our promised land in the valley below
Until we 
collectively
get back home
to the land where we were once happy and prosperous
not too long ago