A Journey for Thanksgiving

Thanks to Jane, who really is a Rain City Librarian, for hosting Poetry Friday. If you don't know, Jane recently had her first book published. Here's a pic of the cover! Congratulations, Jane!

      I had quite a journey trying to share one poem with everyone. I am in the midst of unpacking a few Christmas things. One of the first things I do is bring out the books, especially for the grand-girls, but some for me, too. This time, I found an old Cricket Magazine from 1987, but with the Thanksgiving theme. It was tucked inside a bigger book! Inside is a poem that I loved by a poet named Emanuel di Pasquale, the title: "Joy of an Immigrant, a Thanksgiving." It is a beautiful poem, and I wanted to share considering the turmoil that immigrants today are experiencing all over the world. They are looking for their "nests".

      When I looked for the poem, I found something about the poet here. And the Academy of American Poets offers this: Emanuel di Pasquale. Born in Sicily in 1943, Emanuel di Pasquale came to America in 1957. He earned an MA from New York University in 1966 and has been teaching college English ever since. There is more here.

       I am sharing this information because I checked the Cricket Magazine that does show that Pasquale gave permission to share his poem. He was alive then, and still is. Then I found a text of this poem that I can share, but it states: "Here's a poem supposedly written by one of the pilgrims." It's an interesting journey to "think" one has an answer, then when exploring more, one questions, and looks again, hopefully discovering the truth.  

       

Joy of an Immigrant, a Thanksgiving by Emanuel Pasquale

begins:

          "Like a bird grown weak in a land

            where it always rains

            and where all the trees have died,

Here is the link to the rest of the poem. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating. I am thankful for so many things, but one of those high on my list is the Poetry Friday community.