ANCIENT MEMORIES

I stood on the edge of the bluff, looking to the Earth below,

The sun was setting, all had an orange- red glow...

I listened to the soft, gentle breeze as it swept over me,

It was whispering in tongues of an ancient memory...

I cleared my mind that I might become one with the wind,

Who carried with it a message that I must comprehend:

I began to hear the humming of voices, I felt a distant beat,

I was filled with the spirit from head to my feet.

I began to dance the dance of the elders, they were chanting,

I was caught up in the rhythm and did not notice that I was panting...

As I rolled my body to the tempo, it became stronger, louder too,

Soon I was one of the eagles soaring overhead in the sky of purple hue...

I looked down upon the mother of my nation,

And screeched out in indignation...

What had become of the way of life that we were taught?

Into what sort of trap had we been caught?

My people were complacent, drinking, and getting high,

That they would not feel the wounds that made them cry...

I noticed the poverty, the empty looks in their faces,

Which was inherited by others disgraces...

I longed to make them whole, to set things right,

Wishing that I had the mystical powers that had given me flight...

Suddenly, I saw a man chanting a prayer for healing of his people, chanting for wisdom,

He had great vision, which he translated to everyone.

Some would not listen, convinced that life could never be right,

Others were inspired by his spiritual sight...

There are no easy answers to the shame my people have suffered for centuries,

They simply must arise, take charge of their destinies...

Quickly I am brought back to the bluff, it is nighttime now,

I feel that I have been instructed somehow...

I will remember only what the Great Spirit wanted me to know,

It will be my mission to teach the others what He was trying to sow...

Remember, my people, it is not what has happened in the past,

But, what you have made of it that will ever last...

Arise, take your pity party to the river-side,

Acknowledge your potential, which is alive deep inside...

Forget the ugliness committed by those with lying eyes,

Get up, my people, be counted, and look up to the skies...

There are many lessons for you to take to the world, many gifts, many truths to speak,

Do not let our culture die because you choose to be weak...

Stand up, be proud of all who went before you,

Show all of nature what lives within you...

It is this message that will carry us beyond our grief,

It is this message that will profoundly bring relief...