As I make my way across the world to Ethiopia once again, I invite you to take a walk with me through some of the reasons why this place is so dear to me. Ethiopia is a land full of contradictions and wonder… and even though this will be far from a “pleasure vacation,” I look forward to the lessons this land has to teach me this time around. Please enjoy this poem I wrote.
Walk with Me
Walk with me through this limitless terrain
varied with contradictions
fruitful yet desolate
colorful abundance
full of presence
even when evidence of life is hard to find.
Walk with me across the vast plains that end
only when the mountains start to rise
Walk with me through the cities and villages
and into the lives of the people
their eyes
soulful
have their own stories to tell
of love and loss
poverty and prosperity
Walk with me through their layers of history
rich in tradition
full in community
Walk with me in self-discovery
My ancestry and yours
were born in this land
where we find the questions
and we live the answers
Mother Africa
your journey is our own
Walk with me and we’ll create our story
as it unfolds
across Ethiopia
Walk with me
