Read

"Radical Hospitality"

Published:
December 15, 2023
October 7, 2022
Read "Radical Hospitality", a poem for Indigenous Peoples' Day 2022.|Read "Radical Hospitality", a poem for Indigenous Peoples' Day 2022.

Autumn late afternoon and the
Leaf Falling Moon is
a round, ghostly presence
impossibly large in
an impossibly blue sky.

Grandfather Sun
slips below the horizon and
just like that the
Moon reflects bright,
the stars and planets
waking all around her
like fireflies emerging
from the prairie.

In trailers and shacks
in distant woods
fire is stoked in stoves,
hands age-spotted and trembling
feed the flames
with dry, rich smelling blocks
of fresh split
pine, fir, and larch.

Can you feel heat
that smells like dagwaagin's
first soup and stew
bubbling atop hot iron
during the cold, snowy
months to come
in that ancient valley
beleaguered with its own
pile of modern troubles?

I sip cold water
from a jug.
Feel the chill
beginning to rise
as the ridges to the west
darken to silhouette
and the sky streaks with
deeper shades of pink.

Where does the water come from,
and all that living wood?
Who is the magnanimous donor,
who comforts us
with these gifts?
Given all of our
wreaked havoc on the world,
whose hospitality
is most radical?

Creators:
Chris La Tray
Published:
December 15, 2023
October 7, 2022
On a related note...
Urban Confessional Provides Free Listening on the Street

Urban Confessional Provides Free Listening on the Street

Grotto

The Gift of Catholic Education in the Diocese of Wichita

The Gift of Catholic Education in the Diocese of Wichita

Grotto

How to Host a Dietary-Friendly Dinner Party

How to Host a Dietary-Friendly Dinner Party

Caitlan Rangel

The Importance of a Support System When You’re Far from Home

The Importance of a Support System When You’re Far from Home

Liz Palmer

Meet the Woman Who Holds Opioid-Addicted Babies

Meet the Woman Who Holds Opioid-Addicted Babies

Maria Walley

Refugee Creates Stunning Mosaic Art

Refugee Creates Stunning Mosaic Art

Grotto

Share Your Thoughts Directly with Pope Francis | #TellItToFrancis

Share Your Thoughts Directly with Pope Francis | #TellItToFrancis

Grotto

The New Worlds She Found in Her Library

The New Worlds She Found in Her Library

Theresa Sullivan

How to Keep the Holidays Meaningful in the Midst of COVID

How to Keep the Holidays Meaningful in the Midst of COVID

Grace Carroll

3 Tips for Shopping Sustainably

3 Tips for Shopping Sustainably

Mary Cunningham

Why Introverted Leaders are Not a Contradiction

Why Introverted Leaders are Not a Contradiction

Jessie McCartney

"Dear Heart, a Letter"

"Dear Heart, a Letter"

Maisy Williams

4 Tips for Staying Joyful in a World that Glorifies Stress

4 Tips for Staying Joyful in a World that Glorifies Stress

Molly Gettinger

Finding Empathy for the Gang Who Shot Him

Finding Empathy for the Gang Who Shot Him

Grotto

What 'Dune' Teaches Us About Scarcity and Social Equity

What 'Dune' Teaches Us About Scarcity and Social Equity

Hanna Van Elk

The Ultimate Guide to Thriving in Life After College

The Ultimate Guide to Thriving in Life After College

Grotto

How I Cultivated Community When I Moved to Chicago

How I Cultivated Community When I Moved to Chicago

Clarissa Aljentera

Honoring My Younger Self this New Year's

Honoring My Younger Self this New Year's

Isaac Huss

The Sacred Gray Area

The Sacred Gray Area

Sarah Adams

Meet Edith Stein, Soul-Searcher

Meet Edith Stein, Soul-Searcher

Cate Von Dohlen

newsletter

We’d love to be pals.

Sign up for our newsletter, and we’ll meet you in your inbox each week.