¿What is Querencia?

Querencia (Cay-ráincia):

There is a secret spot where the antelope grazes without fear, a place where the eagle can nest in peace and a dog can sleep belly up in the sun. In the bullring, it’s called Querencia, and its translation is as diverse as the enigma of its existence.

In Racing Through Paradise, William F. Buckley says, “The word doesn't translate. It is used in Spanish to designate that mysterious little area in the bullring that catches the fancy of the fighting bull when he charges in. He imagines it his sanctuary: when parked there, he supposes he cannot be hurt...So it is, borrowing the term, that one can speak of one's "querencia" to mean that little, unspecified area in life's arena where one feels safe, serene."

The mountains hold this place in their arms
and sing the sunset softly,
a lullaby of hope and peace.
They keep my secrets safe,
give me back my dreams when I need them most
and bear the weight of my blue-black clouds,
impossibly heavy, on their shoulders
so that I may suckle gently,
nestled in their lap
— Querencia.

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