My poem, Curiosity and Wonder was selected for publication in early 2026 in an anthology of short stories and poems by several local authors. The submission was based on the theme Family: Formed, Found, and Chosen, in response to the memoir Solito by Javier Zamora, which tells the story of a nine-year-old child making his way solo to America from El Salvador.
My strong connection to this theme stems from a nomadic family I met on my 2024 trip to Morocco. My poem is about this family. Westerners call the nomads Berbers, meaning “free people.” However, “Berber” derives from a Latin term meaning “barbarian” and is considered outdated by many. While “Berber” is still commonly used, especially by outsiders, Imazighen is the preferred term. Imazighen is the indigenous name of the ethnic group of North Africans who live in the region.
(My photo shows a woman preparing tea in the kitchen of the nomadic home.)
Curiosity and Wonder: Here is a preview of a few selected stanzas, before publication.
Our tour group reached the edge of the desert
At a nomadic multifamily home
Our Berber guide spoke in their native tongue
So we could learn about their life as they roam
An impermanent desert home
Sand floors, woolen fabric, stick walls
Bulging bags hung with their possessions
Would it withstand the desert wind squalls?
As far as the eye could see
No trees, no structures, nothing more
Only fossilized stones and desert sand
Where 500 million years ago stood an ocean floor
A grandmother, mother, and two children
Welcomed us with traditional mint tea
They proudly showed us their modest home
But beneath our gratitude was a sense of poverty
A few stanzas later.....
Their youngest son, aged five
Didn’t want to go to school
He and his mother would need to live far away
Where nomadic life would no longer rule
It was all he knew
It was all they knew
Life was simple
Existence became their rule
A couple stanzas later....
We were just alien Americans
Who made periodic sojourns
Would they want to live like us
Did the grandmother find much to yearn?
No TV, no social media,
No material items to desire
What questions could they ask
Their life was simple, nothing more to acquire
The ending might surprise you... or maybe not.
I will post the entire poem after publication in March.
When writing nonfiction, I put myself in the shoes of the people I am describing. What might they be thinking, feeling, or longing for? You will see how I demonstrate this in my entire poem.
Have you had memorable encounters with families during your travels that you’d like to share?
Susan E. Greisen 
This is wonderful Susan. Vikki
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Thank you Vikki for being one of my faithful fans. Is always appreciated when people and Publishers acknowledge my writing. Happy holidays to you and yours.
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This very thoughtful and compassionate. Thank you Susan
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Thank you for your comments. When you read the entire poem it gets quite deep and has a beginning and an ending that may surprise you. It harkens all the way back to the farm in Nebraska.
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Another great piece, Susan! Love reading about your travels and the many lives that touch you along the way. Never stop writing!
-Dontae
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Thanks Dontae,
This nomadic family still touches my heart. I want to continue broadening my horizons through travel. My creative energy begins to flow freely when I journey away from my home base. I yearn to leave my bubble of existence whenever I can—best to you this holiday season.
Susan
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