a week with cousins

 

a visit to Germany

we just spent over a week in Germany,

4300 miles, or so, east of home,

a land ancient compared to how long people have been in North America,

the visit feels like it was a family thing,

these are cousins with whom we have not kept up,

so we visit and marvel

both at how similar we are

and how different we are,

the language makes me feel

like I am far too young a person,

for I only really know to say

"please," "thank you," "goodbye,"

I work to figure out the names of towns,

"Garmish-Partenkirchen," "Muchen,"

the highest mountain in Germany, "Zugspitze,"

pronounced with the help of my son

with a reference to the movie "Goldfinger,"

any sophisticated thought still only possible for me

to reach for in English,

I have profound thoughts and learnings from there,

it troubles me how much I don't know the language of their thoughts,

I know the language of their kindnesses,

as strangers who help us navigate the subway system,

and others use English to tell us of deep feelings and thoughts,

while I "grok" what I can and keenly feel as the stranger,

it is a land that may not be strange at all,

but a land within which I visit 

and expand myself, 

enthusiastically.

by Henry H. Walker

October  1, ‘24