Balkan Ghosts
golden light of early morning
filtered by lace curtains
illuminates our tattered packs
and draws me
out of a frayed dream
into the pulse of village life
clatter of a horse-drawn wagon
beneath the open window
a sound so foreign yet
deeply comforting
like an immigrant mother’s song
the hope of ancient ways eternal
breakfast in the courtyard garden
our small wooden table
brightly adorned
and shaded by a walnut canopy
final ingredients to ignite
the joy of restored belonging
~ Richard C. Gorecki
Richard C. Gorecki is a professional geographer, children’s storyteller and writer. His poetry and short stories have appeared in various publications including My Most Memorable Teacher and Poetry in Motion. Richard is a native Albertan currently living in Calgary with his wife and two children.
“The writing process for me typically begins with a memory that ignites – one that calls out to be celebrated, explored and extended into the hearts of others.”
Editor’s note: This poem is from Home and Away – a sequel to the bestselling Writing the Land (2007). Look for one poet to be featured each day as Alberta poets ponder the question “what is home?†and explore our complex relationship with working on, living with, exploiting and protecting our land and our home. For more information about the project, click here.
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