RETRO-MIGRATION
retracing ancestral steps
I find my signature written across the world
I am the ancestor of myself
inside me
before I knew this name
I lived
in New Zealand on ancient Maori totems
my eyes are carved
Hindu statues of Bali laugh when I approach
recognizing an old friend
inside Bandelier cliff dwellings a fire burns
welcoming me home
in Nepalese temples the stones
call to me in dreams
Indigenous Peoples cave paintings
my hands ache
I look in wonder at what I created
only forgotten
I cannot see until I step outside
the continent of me
In soil, water and blood
I reflect
forming a new once again
renaming myself
over and over I become
part of this land
creating stories of pasts
about where the I was born
yet, a myth
all along
KM Sharp is a poet, writer, MSW, activist, producer and photographer originally from Saint Louis, Missouri, moved to Los Angeles, California and now lives as a digital nomad slow traveling and exploring the world. She received a BA in Communications from University of Colorado and a MSW from Saint Louis University. KM studied under the renowned Welsh-American poet, bard and scholar Jon Dressel and co-produces the monthly literary and music show Poems, Prose and Pints. She has performed in shows and events nationally and internationally and her poetry and writings appear in various publications and anthologies. KM is the author of two ebooks, I Become One and Heirs of November. Check out her travel blog/publication TravelArtistsHub.