Here is a draft of a short reflection that The English Web-a web journal for the English Department at St. John's University in Collegeville, MN-asked me to write for them.

Early Morning Sights and Sounds in Agbang (From a balcony)

The sunrise is spectacular: an orange glow swelling like a ripened mango behind the jagged green hills. I hear an engine humming amidst the incessant rooster cries. The thick white mist stretching across the valley conceals the source of the hum but I recognize the sound—the rumbling buzz taxi-moto-bike taking its zed-man (moto-taxi driver) into town. From behind me in the courtyard the dome of brass in the monastery bell tower begins to rock and fill the valley with its habitual clang. I can feel the sound waves vibrating through cool air all around me. Each day, the toll of the morning bell promises an array of fresh challenges and inspirations that will humble, exalt, bewilder, and surprise. I have a thousand questions. Living in Africa will not change this. I will always have a thousand questions and sometimes in my heart I will feel seeds of panic growing. This is my dislocated soul thirsting for the familiar. I will not water this seed. I will let the hot African sun dry it to dust. I will nurture my innumerable seeds of blooming joy.