Home after a long journey to the other side of the world
I open my cases to the smells of another landscape
The dust from a faraway desert
remains suspended in my clothes
collects in the corners of my suitcase
Delicate packages, wrapped in craft paper,
rolled up in clothing
An attempt to bring that life
those experiences
back here
to the ones I love most
Little piles all over my bedroom
This one to wash
This one to put away
These mementos to consider-
Who were they for?
Why did I buy them?
Will the recipient get the same feeling from them as I did?
What is not evident in the explosion of clothing and gifts
are the stories
the laughter
the feeling of wholeheartedness
the love of my family
the real and true souvenirs of my travels
I try to incorporate them into conversation
weave them back into my regular life
bridge the two worlds in which my heart resides