White Buffalo Calf Woman
Art by Rogue Guirey Simpson
Art by Rogue Guirey Simpson
White Buffalo Calf Woman holds
a sacred white calf in her arms.
a sacred white calf in her arms.
See their tears flowing, mingling,
tree blood and rain from Mother Earth,
cascading down the mountain slopes,
bouncing off cliff faces, that wear
the eyes of the ancestors,
stoic, resigned to our unceasing folly,
our refusal to wake up, to see
what is plainly before us.
Mighty river roaring through the gorge
storms the mountain pass,
trees waving their arms in distress,
Mother Wind battering the earth
with pounding rain,
a furious housecleaning,
trying to rid herself of
the parasites and vermin
the parasites and vermin
clinging to her skin.
There is a thin keening in the wildwoods,
cries of the young and their dams,
all hungry and ever in search of a home
away from the Two-Leggeds
who stalk them to the end of their lives,
walking ghosts with no eyes
and small, unawakened hearts.
Every inch of this earth is alive, and beautiful.
Every inch of this earth is alive, and suffering.
The pale ones wander the earth
in search of their vanished spirits.
Who will call their souls back into their bodies?
The blood of the fallen trees is on the land,
which is grieving bitterly.
The stones that receive their blood
hold strong healing for ones who know they are ill.
Hold one in your hand.
Feel, and listen, for the spirit in the stone,
the ancient memory it holds.
It will speak to you
in the language of mountains and rivers,
tell you of long-gone times upon the land,
when buffalo coloured the landscape brown
and then, so bitterly, red,
and then were gone.
The stones, the land, remembers.
Listen, for all this earth has to teach us
about being alive.
A poem from 2014 for my prompt at earthweal: Prayer for Hard Times. It is always in nature that I find my peace. This poem was inspired by Tim Lilburn's Ghost Song.
WOW, you can just walk into the imagery and it's so mesmerizing, especially:
ReplyDelete"who stalk them to the end of their lives,
walking ghosts with no eyes
and small, unawakened hearts.
Every inch of this earth is alive, and beautiful.
Every inch of this earth is alive, and suffering.
The pale ones wander the earth
in search of their vanished spirits.
Who will call their souls back into their bodies?"
I feel like this is a spiritual experience too.
Alive and beautiful ... alive and suffering: That's the fulcrum of this song, the time. Great suffering, great grief, great love. Thank you for the precious water you find and leave for us in these fragile cups. -B
ReplyDeleteThis is haunting, sad, beautiful and true! We urgently need to start listening, to remember how to listen!
ReplyDelete'Every inch of this earth is alive, and beautiful.
Every inch of this earth is alive, and suffering'
- Absolutely yes.
Sherry, your words are always like teachers, crystallized myth-stories. Beautiful.
ReplyDeletethe long memory of stone. perhaps that is where the spirits find refuge ~
ReplyDeleteI hope you are keeping safe in the current heatwave Sherry, sending love and prayers xxx
ReplyDeleteSo much exquisite love and deep pain in these teaching words. Thank you Sherry.
ReplyDeletePowerful writing, Sherry!
ReplyDeleteThe lost art needs a revival and your words put us in that frame of mind. This is amazing and reminds me of my buffalo dream.
ReplyDeleteYou are in touch with the land.
Yes, I am in touch. And it hurts.
ReplyDeleteListening is one answer. Lovely capture of emotions for the weak and for those under attack.
ReplyDelete