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"Connections and Why They Matter"
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Originally published July 26, 2018. Updated for 2026.
I'm a Stranger Here
By Louis L'Amour
If I, between two suns, should go away, No voice would lift to ask another why, No word would question my retreat, nor sigh, Nor wonder why I'd chosen not to stay; For I am a stranger here, of other clay: A guest within this house, a passerby- A roving life whose theme has been "Goodbye" A shadow on the road, a thing astray.
What dim ancestral heritage is mine That now awakens in my blood regret? What destiny is this, what strange design, That I must seek a haunting silhouette In unremembered lands my dreams divine, But cannot quite recall or quite forget?
What Does "I'm a Stranger Here" Mean?
Most readers know Louis L'Amour for his Western novels, but he also wrote thoughtful poetry that explored identity, belonging, memory, and purpose. I'm a Stranger Here is one of his finest examples.
The poem expresses the feeling of being present in the world while never feeling entirely at home within it. The speaker describes himself as "a guest" and "a passerby," suggesting that life itself is temporary and that our deepest longings often point beyond what we can fully explain.
A Life of Wandering
The opening stanza presents the speaker as someone accustomed to moving on.
A roving life whose theme has been "Goodbye."
On one level, these words reflect L'Amour's own life. Before becoming a bestselling author, he worked a remarkable variety of jobs and traveled extensively throughout the United States and around the world.
On another level, the poem speaks to a universal experience. Many people feel like travelers through life, never quite settling, always searching for a place, a purpose, or a sense of belonging.
Memory, Heritage, and the Search for Home
The second stanza turns inward.
The speaker wonders whether something inherited from distant ancestors continues to call him toward places he has never known.
Questions replace certainty:
What heritage lives within us?
Why do some places feel strangely familiar?
Why do we sometimes long for something we cannot name?
Rather than answering these questions, L'Amour invites us to live with them.
Why the Poem Still Resonates
One reason this poem continues to speak to readers is that almost everyone experiences moments of feeling out of place.
A career changes.
Children leave home.
Retirement begins.
A loved one dies.
Life moves forward, yet something inside us continues searching for meaning.
L'Amour reminds us that this longing is not necessarily a weakness. It may simply be part of being human.
About Louis L'Amour's Poetry
Although Louis L'Amour became famous for his novels, he considered poetry an important part of his writing life. I'm a Stranger Here appeared in Smoke From This Altar, his first published book.
In her introduction to the collection, his daughter Kathy L'Amour wrote that her father possessed "the three things" necessary to become a poet: imagination, observation, and the ability to express both through language. That love of words is evident throughout this poem.
Final Reflection
I'm a Stranger Here reminds us that life's deepest questions often remain unanswered.
Where do we truly belong?
Why do certain places, memories, or moments seem to call to us?
Perhaps we are all, at times, strangers passing through this world, searching not only for a destination but for a deeper understanding of ourselves.
