The Hearts of Its Women

END OF THE LINE: THE WOMEN OF STANDING ROCK Teaser from Red Queen Media on Vimeo.

"A nation is not defeated until the hearts of its women are on the ground."
A Cheyenne saying

It was a grandmother who first stood
by the river at Standing Rock and said,
"I will not be moved."

In the old ways, matriarchal societies
were balanced and effective,
until men took their turn
at ruling the world.

Now the grandmothers gather.
Aho, we have been saying
for so many years,
that Mother Earth needs balance,
that she is crying in distress.
We have been mourning the extinction
of the wild creatures,
our hearts in pain at their struggle
to live in a world of
the most dominant and
apart-from-nature species
that ever lived.

The grandmothers sing by the river,
promising to protect her.
They stand together
before their sacred burial grounds:
Let no bulldozer pass.

If ever there was a time
to tread gently on the earth,
it is now.
But the jackboots are gathering,
ready to lay waste.
If ever there was a time
to be truthful and honest,
to take responsibility for our sins
against Mother Earth, it is now,
to help her repair her wounds,
to work with her,
allowing her to heal.

But the deniers and naysayers say
"Business as usual".
In fact they plan worse pillaging,
with no controls,
for the ruling billionaires
banded together
feel a strength that need not worry
about repercussions.

Our grandmother spirits are weary.
But our minds are wise.
And our hearts are no where near
to being on the ground.

for Elizabeth Crawford's Creativity Challenge : Women