Behind That Navajo Smile
What have those eyes
of yours seen
in the passing of time
my friend ..
The coming of seasons
and the birth
of new souls no doubt ..
Not to mention the
departure of old ones
and so many
bleached bones ..
The rape of our prairie
and demise
of the forest, we once
hunted and played in ..
So I ask you
again what became of
clean-water, of buffalo,
of elk, and of
rainbow flanked salmon ..
Is it so hard to
forget, the back-on-back
famine ..
Those lean years and the
slaughter ..
The arrival of small-pox,
of syphilis
and of course, influenza ..
Not to mention our old
friends both
cholera and alcohol ..
Yes those are but a few
of the many
things we are meant to
be ever so grateful for ..
And just a few of those,
these eyes of
mine have been privy to
in the passing of time,
my friend ..
Now does all that satisfy
your vague
curiosity and answer
the question
that you ran past me earlier ..
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Comments8
All that packed away behind smiles, of every indigenous people the world over. Our history of being unkind outweighs all our shining moments put together.
.................................. true
Ah, the great dispossessed of the country that would have us believe it celebrates democracy (so long as we are prepared to forget that some are a bit more equal than others).
All those mentions of celebration and defeat subjects viewed from... well that's the point really isn't it, where one is standing on the privileged or non privileged scale/balance does somewhat influence our view. Or the cold distant observers eye, my eye, soured enough to see, stupid enough to say, wise enough to know i matter not one jot.
I beg to differ with your summative sentence sir .. and I absolutely insist you write out x5 m (that's five million) times, 'I must not be so hard on my self, there are plenty of others who will do that for me' ...................................................... Nastrave DA .. N 🙂
Oh the questions such victims of cruel land-rape must ask and penned here with raw and powerful lines the proud history of many indigenous peoples that now only know second-hand about old times of living with and not off their land -- shameful the displacements to concentration camps that breed only vague smiles - -- nuff said at present Nev. on the subject about which I feel most strongly ........x
its always good to know you are safely tucked up in my corner Fay ... x
Brilliant!!!
forgive my rudeness, dear Poet
but was wondering if this would be a good accompaniment for your heartachingly beautiful words:
(
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nOPPuuWBec
)
Yeha-Noha .. the perfect accompaniment, brother Mek ... thank you so much for the nod and bringing it to my attention ............... incidentally, the image of the Navajo woman that fronts the link you sent is the self same one that inspired these words 🙂
Hyung! we be destined to sync
time n again
just an awesome feeling, every time..
just a great write!
I'm more equal than others. To me, 2 + 2 = 5! Dunno why I'm waffling on. lol.
You aint no Carol Vordeman either, are you ................................. 🙂
The Native Indians had a true way of life for the good of all that was taken from them by those that invaded their country and changed the world.
Andy
True words writ GF60 and in many respects, sadly so ............................. Neville
Never mind the Navajo....I mean do mind the Navajo but also mind the First Nations of Australia, who for at least 65,000 years kept this environment in pristine condition... that is until 1788....
A beautiful committed write, Neville.
I feel very much the same way about all 'First Nation' races & peoples Dave wherever upon this globe of ours they hail .. our ancestors have an awful lot to answer for, don't they .. and could not agree with you more sir .......................................... Neville
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