Facing West From California's Shores

ACING west from California's shores,

Inquiring, tireless, seeking what is yet unfound,

I, a child, very old, over waves, towards the house of maternity, the land of migrations, look afar,

Look off the shores of my Western sea, the circle almost circled;

For starting westward from Hindustan, from the vales of Kashmere,

From Asia, from the north, from the God, the sage, and the hero,

From the south, from the flowery peninsulas and the spice islands,

Long having wander'd since, round the earth having wander'd,

Now I face home again, very pleas'd and joyous,

(But where is what I started for so long ago? And why is it yet unfound?) 

 

 This poem is about an immigrant who has never been happy with any place she has settled in. She moves from country to country, shore to shore. She's been to some many places she's gone in a circle from all her traveling. In the end she's in California but still looks out to the sea wishing to find the place left unfound.