Whisper n Thunder

The Whisper of Native American stories, the Thunder of stories that demand to be told.

Poetry n Prose 3

The Good Red Road

~ Monolin Manny Moreno

When I was young and wayward, tore-up from the floor up

An elder once told me to gather my medicine

I said: You mean roots and feathers?

No! The medicine within you

The good things in you to make you well

You have to gather those things

Only you can do this with help from Grandfather

When you have gathered your medicine

You will know what it takes to get well

If you become ill in your spirit and mind

And stray away from the Good Red Road

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Light for You

My skin too light for you?
So the friggen what-
I'm not your "stinkin" mascot...

This is 2009 brothers & sisters-
and I make no apologies
NONE
for being an Urban NATIVE Woman
that doesn't fit in your little
"vision"
of what a Native person is supposed to look like...

This isn’t Hollywood,

this is real life
and the reality is
there are a lot of mixed babies out there
that come disguised in different
sizes
shapes
and SHADES

thanks to a process and
combination of COLONIZATION
and human sexuality.

So all that TiPi Creeping,
or those little URBAN 49s-
Made a lot of mixed babies out there

Who dance to the drum

in all kinds of different

Sizes
Shapes
And SHADES

And you know what?

They are all beautiful and
They are ALL NATIVE!

You might be turning your back on them

but I'm not.

-C.Fairbanks 2009

Three Vistas of the Medicine Man

~ Roibeard McElroy

Whims

Hail the creator of all things:

the world and the great spirit's nature

fresh flowers as spring tide

for fields of harvest as mellow makings

for noble trees with energies endure

for fountains' foam flooding waters wide

for healing herbs as alms' shakings

for lovesick leaves as pilgrims pure

for bird's wing wise as gifts to guide

for diverse divers on rivers rakings

fish flecked as sun-fleeced creatures

for power plants with medicine hides

pure snow falls as flossed and flaking

praise the father's every feature

glory to his being - I sing!

Voices

Voices rise in rustic rumblings

and quiver like stars that swirl

they wing their way in the clouds

and gently merge with Heaven's pearl

eddying and surging they play

their scales and keys and bars

like restless rivers that stray

from the belt of stars

as a chain in the Milky Way

to the generous skies of mirth

voices like knights riding gay

ploughing their way to earth

music mellow as pilgrims sway

in the AGE OF AQUARIUS

PEACE, HARMONY, BROTHERLY LOVE

THEIR CHORUS!

Wisdom

Let wisdom's wind blaze

o'er the purple brow of night

let the hearts humble haze

perch plainly on life's height

Let the depth of your eyes

be a spinning star in your sight

let your soul echo in cosmic rays

and sour fruits beam with light

Let your speech be a searcher's treasure

in words wafered in truth

let your step have life's leisure

and float with wings of youth

Let your dreams and deeds design

the way to love's lonely spirit

may you aid as a dowser divine

the river of life you merit!

Roses are Red

Roses are red and if

violets are blue, then who

am I to you? Don't forget me

nor I you, and hold on tight, never

let go, for I will remember

you always in the deep abyss

of my memory. My minds eye

may not be what it once was,

but it does not forget the love

I have for you, a love that lingers

in the darkness of my insanity.

Come and sit awhile dear friend

and I will awaken once more to hold

your hand, never forgetting the sweet

and glorious moments of you.

~ Oieya