Diaspora seeded

One Christmas in New Zealand, many years ago now, our daughter arrived home with her friend, Carlos, from Peru, who was learning English. Here are my thoughts after his visit with us. A letter he wrote to my wife and I follows the poem:

Poem:

Traveller, missionary, explorer and adventurer, they leave the places they were born,

a multi-national diaspora other lands to roam;

each to their purpose survey with eager eyes,

wandering footprints everywhere they go.

*

Years hence, some assimilated, belonging, married, maybe even single still,

others with adventure, hope and vision lost

returned home from whence they came

disillusioned, frustrated or deceased.

*

In our global shrinking, part chaotic incessant human versus human world,

where only God knows by what each war is driven,

a different diaspora operates;

innocents tragically dispersed, where, if fortune smiles on some foreign shore

they germinate, colouring old settings with new enlivening scenes.

*

I answered when his mother rang from overseas, politely questioning hopefully: ‘Is my son there?’

It cost them, mother and family round her as she spoke;

and when he answered, softly and with moving affection: ‘Madre?’,

miles vanished, separation gone, as voice to heart their welcome message sang.

*

What separates chosen as may be, or forced by folly common to our earthly breed,

as struggling to meet daily basic human needs, for family or self-survival some are force to leave;

this young man so dispersed, rich in love, abundant in appealing attitude and features,

this son now foreign of tongue no longer, as he joined hearts with family far off in Peru.

*

Unaware was he what riches in his soul he brought,

murmuring softly, with love on our phone that Christmas,

a diaspora seeded blessing to our New Zealand home.

*

Dennis Crompton © 1996

(first published www.denniscrompton.wordpress.com 2013)

Letter:

Dear Mr and Mrs Crompton

I hope that you are very well. I would like to say to you thank you very much. I never thought be like in family, and much less, to be sit down in one table at that time, that it was Christmas. Because it is not usually for me since that I'm here, in your country. And thank you for the cake, it was very nice. I hope that my God look after you in everything that you do.

Thank you from Carlos