Yima Nami

Stand with me, yima nami
Stand with me, don't let go

By the small house at the edge of the fields
Dusk settles blue on the rusted gate
The porch light flickers above the door
And nobody asks us to make it okay
An enamel basin waits by the step
A folded blanket rests on the chair
Mama holds the message close to her chest
Grandfather reaches, finds my shoulder there

Stand with me, yima nami
We will carry what we know
Stand with me, shoulder to shoulder
No one bears this road alone

Yima nami, stand with me
Yima nami, stay close

The cousins come running from the back-room yard
Auntie puts tea on, then turns down the flame
The youngest brings water in both little hands
The eldest says, “Tomorrow, we go there together”
We write down the names and divide the drive
One takes the call, one keeps watch tonight
The old and the young find the same steady step
While the porch light holds through the gathering dark

Stand with me, yima nami
We will carry what we know
Stand with me, shoulder to shoulder
No one bears this road alone

Yima nami…
Stand with me…

I thought being strong meant standing by myself
I thought being strong meant standing by myself
Like a dry branch holding against the wind
But your hand on my shoulder changed the weight
The blanket opened, and it covered us all
Not less pain, but less alone
Not one back, but many strong

Stand with me, yima nami
We can face the morning slow
Stand with me, shoulder to shoulder
What we share, we learn to hold
Stand with me, yima nami
Your hand is here, so I can breathe
Stand with me, family beside me
No one bears this road alone

Yima nami, stand with me
The porch light stays, the night moves on
Yima nami, stand with me
We are here, we carry on