UNDER THE SAMÁN TREE: Poems on Home, Longing & Belonging
Coming Soon with The Way Back Books
It’s taken me far too long to share the title of my debut bilingual poetry collection—mainly because I wanted to take the time to go into depth about its meaning. I know many of you might not be familiar with the samán tree (monkey pod tree in English) and I think understanding it is crucial to understanding why I chose it for my collection’s title.
The samán tree is a beautiful canopy tree native to Central and South America, which means it grows and thrives in tropical climates like that of the Dominican Republic, where I’m from. They’re typically evergreen in these environments and bloom in pink, feather-like flowers several times a year. There are two of these stunning trees in my parent’s backyard—my childhood home.
En la República Dominicana, we pride ourselves in saying “we live where you vacation.” What this actually means is we experience summer weather almost all year round, with very few weeks of respite from the heat. Samán trees are particularly special in this kind of climate because their canopy-like branches—that appear to bend down as if wanting to kiss the ground—provide wonderful shade and comfort on warm, humid days.
I like to think of the samán tree as the tropical version of a cedar of Lebanon. Although they mostly look different from one another (their leaf structure and shade of green is not the same) they have one very essential characteristic in common—they are both canopy trees. The cedar of Lebanon, a majestic Middle Eastern tree which can live over 1,000 years, is very important in biblical imagery. In the book of Ezekiel, God himself brings forth its image to describe his kingdom:
Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest.” Ezekiel 17:22-23
The kingdom of God, the place to which all believers belong, is like a great, beautiful, sturdy tree. A tree whose branches extend far and wide to provide rest, shade, and fruit; where there is room for all to dwell. And although this promise hasn’t fully materialized yet, I believe there are places, people, and things that provide pockets of repose on this side of eternity—experiences that bubble up the ache and longing in all of us for that kind of perfect home.
This is what the samán trees in my parent’s backyard have been to me. Literally speaking, they have become a place of rest and comforting shade on days of unbearable heat. Figuratively and spiritually, they have been to me a thin place, where I’ve caught a tiny glimpse at the comfort and belonging to come in God’s kingdom. The samán tree represents both the reality of my earthly home—the peace I find in belonging to a specific country and place—and that of my true home, that far-off country, where all my deepest longings for belonging will be satisfied.
So, this debut collection is an invitation—to journey with me back home, to the samán tree in my parent’s backyard, and sit with me under the shade of God’s promise to bring us home. A nuestro hogar.
But the journey is very seldom straightforward. In more ways than one, I’ve been stripped of so much of what was once familiar to me. Under the Samán Tree explores these themes, too. It is also an invitation to wrestle alongside me through an immigration process as well as feelings of displacement, homesickness, nostalgia, and longing; feelings I’m sure we’ve all felt in some way, shape, or form.
I hope you join me and my words when this bilingual collection releases with The Way Back Books (
) in late September.
I’m excited to share that the talented poet
generously agreed to be my foreword writer, for which I am forever grateful! Rachel is the author of Talking Back to Purity Culture: Rediscovering Faithful Christian Sexuality, Sometimes Women Lie About Being Okay, and Charlie Can’t Sleep!: Trusting God When You’re Afraid of the Dark, a children’s book releasing with InterVarsity Press Kids this fall. You can find her books here.Also to my kind endorsers
, , , , , , , , and —gracias por creer en mis palabras. Thank you for believing in my words.
Let me know below: do you have any questions about my collection? Is there anything else you'd like to know? Also, is there a place that has ever given you this feeling of home? Do you have your own samán tree? What are places/experiences that have helped you realize your ache for a true home?
I can’t wait to share this piece of my heart with you.
In Light of Eternity,
Rosa.
Mi Rosita! Can’t wait to read them all.. to hold a piece of your heart while I read them, and to picture you again and again under our Saman tree writing yourself away❤️ te amo y so very proud of you!
Rosa, I am so proud of you and this stunning collection. I am beyond grateful you chose The Way Back Books to give a true home to your work! What a beautiful fit! It’s going to bless so many. I can’t wait!! Love you!!