Allegiances

William Stafford

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It is time for all the heroes to go home
if they have any, time for all of us common ones
to locate ourselves by the real things
we live by.

Far to the north, or indeed in any direction,
strange mountains and creatures have always lurked-
elves, goblins, trolls, and spiders:-we
encounter them in dread and wonder,

But once we have tasted far streams, touched the gold,
found some limit beyond the waterfall,
a season changes, and we come back, changed
but safe, quiet, grateful.

Suppose an insane wind holds all the hills
while strange beliefs whine at the traveler's ears,
we ordinary beings can cling to the earth and love
where we are, sturdy for common things.

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Comments1
  • freddorn6134510

    This one really spoke to me. Makes me think about how complex the world can be, and how it's important to stay grounded in reality amongst all the chaos and mystery. Sometimes, we forget that the simple things are often most important, and this was a nice reminder of that. It's about appreciating the small things and finding comfort in the ordinary.