Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Perhaps the World Ends Here

I was inspired by Joy Harjo's words, as found in Homemaking:Women Writers and the Politics and Poetics of Home:

Perhaps the World Ends Here

The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what we must eat to live.
The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on.
We chase chickens or dogs away from it. Babies teethe at the corners. They scrape their knees under it.
It is here that children are given instruction on what it means to be human. We make men at it, we make women.
At this table we gossip, recall enemies and the ghosts of lovers.
Our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children. They laugh with us at our poor falling down selves and as we put ourselves back together once again at the table.
This table has been a house in the rain, an umbrella in the sun.
Wars have begun and ended at this table. It is a place to hide in the shadow of terror. A place to celebrate the terrible victory.
We have given birth on this table, and have prepared our parents for burial here.
At this table we sing with joy, with sorrow. We pray of suffering and remorse. We give thanks.
Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying, eating of the last sweet bite.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very cool post! I'm so glad I found this cause its such how I feel. Homemaking is one of the greatest careers a woman can have. :)

Heather said...

What a wonderful and very true passage. Thanks for posting that.

Lorraine said...

Love that!