I stand here, still and settled,
among my eleven sisters,
and feel the Earth beneath my feet
roots sinking deep
spreading wide
rooted
balanced
secure.
Spine straight and with wooded strength
energy flows
from roots to top
shoulders soft, neck long.
The warmth of the sun shines on my crown,
birds and breezes in my loose, free hair.
Looking at each face
in this circle,
this council of elders,
wise grandmothers, and me,
a circle of twelve.
I am so grateful to sit among them.
- Mary Burgess, October, 2009
