This piece was such a necessary read. A mirror of all the things hidden and shadowed. I'm from Hawaii and I am part of the economic diaspora living on Turtle island, Michigan. I'm a Native practitioner and being a land based society, land as family, throws me in unsteady seas. I find myself in a canoe what feels like a vast ocean with the luminaries as my only companion of navigating and groundedness. My eyes are attuned to blue oceans, tall green mountains the color and scent of sand.
The language spoken and the light in the eyes of my community, are missing from me.
To hear my named called as a reclamation a belonging to, the experience of a village and rooted heritage.
To mourn the lost of a loved one is in equally parts guilt and grief. Having nowhere just yet a place to hold my sacred tears to be held by familiar sacred spaces that knows me, by name.
I'm a storyteller and write poetry in my head. I founded an organization to address this very longing. Www.pikomi.org PIKO is belly button in Hawaiian also meaning a connection to. That is yhe acronym reminding us to return to our roots for nourishment and healing.
Schantell, my heart and spirit felt your words deeply: 'My eyes are attuned to blue oceans, tall green mountains the color and scent of sand. The language spoken and the light in the eyes of my community, are missing from me.'
There's a prayer sent from my heart, from lands north of where you are, that the spirit of blue oceans, tall green mountains, and the scent of the seas continue to find you and offer ease along your journey.
PIKO feels like an incredible organization - what a gift to offer your community and your soul along this path.
Céad míle buíochas for sharing your heart and some of your story. Beannachtaí 🙏🏻
I feel all of this so deeply. I’m almost fully Celtic blood, with a small bit of native Turtle Island.blood. I have longed for Ireland as long as I can remember. I was blessed to travel there for five weeks back in 2019. I didn’t get down to Munster but my time in Donegal and especially Connemara and Achill Island reverberated deeply inside me. I don’t have a mind’s eye (aphantasia) but when I stood there, I folded the wind, the coolness of the air, the craggy rocks and hills, the Atlantic Ocean, deep into my being and when I think about it, I can’t see it in my mind, but I feel it in my body and know, in some way, I am still there and I always will be there.
Maybe we could do something together in the future. In a previous life during the current life, I was married to a Rabbi and trained as a maggid (story teller) and am also a poet! Diasporic Sisters?
Oh Meggy, what an incredible experience to have had with the land of Éire. I loved your description of 'folding the wind' and how that memory rests in your body now - it's pretty wondrous, right?
'Maybe we could do something together in the future.' - yes! I love this idea! (I actually had a similar thought when reading your first Substack post). I agree; Diasporic Sisters, indeed!
'In a previous life during the current life, I was married to a Rabbi and trained as a maggid (story teller) and am also a poet!' - oh what stories you must have! (I've collected a few from my previous lives in this life as well.)
What a wonderful way for souls to connect than through the stories, art, and sacred realms of Substack!
This piece was such a necessary read. A mirror of all the things hidden and shadowed. I'm from Hawaii and I am part of the economic diaspora living on Turtle island, Michigan. I'm a Native practitioner and being a land based society, land as family, throws me in unsteady seas. I find myself in a canoe what feels like a vast ocean with the luminaries as my only companion of navigating and groundedness. My eyes are attuned to blue oceans, tall green mountains the color and scent of sand.
The language spoken and the light in the eyes of my community, are missing from me.
To hear my named called as a reclamation a belonging to, the experience of a village and rooted heritage.
To mourn the lost of a loved one is in equally parts guilt and grief. Having nowhere just yet a place to hold my sacred tears to be held by familiar sacred spaces that knows me, by name.
I'm a storyteller and write poetry in my head. I founded an organization to address this very longing. Www.pikomi.org PIKO is belly button in Hawaiian also meaning a connection to. That is yhe acronym reminding us to return to our roots for nourishment and healing.
Schantell, my heart and spirit felt your words deeply: 'My eyes are attuned to blue oceans, tall green mountains the color and scent of sand. The language spoken and the light in the eyes of my community, are missing from me.'
There's a prayer sent from my heart, from lands north of where you are, that the spirit of blue oceans, tall green mountains, and the scent of the seas continue to find you and offer ease along your journey.
PIKO feels like an incredible organization - what a gift to offer your community and your soul along this path.
Céad míle buíochas for sharing your heart and some of your story. Beannachtaí 🙏🏻
I feel all of this so deeply. I’m almost fully Celtic blood, with a small bit of native Turtle Island.blood. I have longed for Ireland as long as I can remember. I was blessed to travel there for five weeks back in 2019. I didn’t get down to Munster but my time in Donegal and especially Connemara and Achill Island reverberated deeply inside me. I don’t have a mind’s eye (aphantasia) but when I stood there, I folded the wind, the coolness of the air, the craggy rocks and hills, the Atlantic Ocean, deep into my being and when I think about it, I can’t see it in my mind, but I feel it in my body and know, in some way, I am still there and I always will be there.
Maybe we could do something together in the future. In a previous life during the current life, I was married to a Rabbi and trained as a maggid (story teller) and am also a poet! Diasporic Sisters?
Oh Meggy, what an incredible experience to have had with the land of Éire. I loved your description of 'folding the wind' and how that memory rests in your body now - it's pretty wondrous, right?
'Maybe we could do something together in the future.' - yes! I love this idea! (I actually had a similar thought when reading your first Substack post). I agree; Diasporic Sisters, indeed!
'In a previous life during the current life, I was married to a Rabbi and trained as a maggid (story teller) and am also a poet!' - oh what stories you must have! (I've collected a few from my previous lives in this life as well.)
What a wonderful way for souls to connect than through the stories, art, and sacred realms of Substack!
Count me in beauties!
I’m so glad you are interested too!
Ache for culture binds♡
Souls in good company, finding our way home 💚