Jíbaro’s Procession

With the first light of dawn and the rooster’s call to rise, a jíbaro makes his way across the sacred ground. A breeze shakes the trees of their morning dew and he tips his head up to accept their blessing. Following behind the incense of hibiscus, heliconia, fern and beehive ginger burned the day before, his procession continues with careful steps. He surveys the work ahead, his eyes peering toward season’s end and the harvest the mountain will bear, his hands clenched with the readiness to begin the work, and his feet feeling the remnants of what once lived. Forgive me beautiful ones, for taking your place for my planting. The ground is prepared, the final wisps of mist and smoke dispersing, and before this cloud of witnesses he takes up the plow.