4
I did not know how I had changed
I only knew that I had
No doubt, no uncertainty
The brook began speaking to me
Speaking of his history
Yes, and mine
Of the journey that I had begun
Where I would journey to
Of the teachers I would meet
Within this world and beyond it
And as I sat there, absorbed in it all
My brothers of another time
Filed into the clearing nearby
Gathering firewood
As women built temporary shelters
For everyone
As the sun began to set
A roaring fire began to speak and spit
In the center of the field
The men, the young and the very old
Began dancing and chanting
Lifting voice and soul
To all that men call God
Puzzled, because the dance
Was a victory dance
Honoring the quest I had just begun
The ancient ones feasted and danced
‘Til the sun again began to rise
The fire and the dancers began to fade
Into, becoming a part of, the morning mist
Again I was alone, but I now knew
That I ‘was’ a chosen one, knew that
There was a reason for my life
A task or tasks that I must accomplish
I rejoiced in my heart
No man could ever tell me
There was no spirit world
There was no God
For all that they may not be near
I knew I would never be alone.
……………………………………………………………………………
5
As I walked the path over the creek
Through the forest to my home
A voice beside and behind said warmly
You have met your guides
Your journey has begun
Wah, I said, nodding, it is so
I said no more but walked to my home
Ignoring others who spoke
Finding voices somehow irritating
In the moment, they did not belong
Compared to all that I had witnessed
The gentle sounds that I heard
I entered my home and sat
Watching the women scurry about
Doing the everyday chores, singing and chatting
I saw these mothers, mothers to be
My heart swelled with a sense of respect
I could compare them to the earth mother
Indeed, I sensed a relationship
Between the earth mother and all mothers
Of man, of animals and fish, even the insects
Why, I thought
Could I not see all of this before now
It now seemed so obvious
All connected in subtle ways
Unseen by blind and greedy men
Intent on a wealth they cannot hold
Beyond the moment
Losing the natural fortune around us
The value of that life
The spiritual value of all things
In their time and their place
They are unable to stop, I think
From their mad pace
To smell, taste, feel, the life of spirit
That is around us always
Waiting to teach us life’s truths.
…………………………………………………………………
6
Old Elijah was sick
The doctors from the white hospital
Said “it is only a matter of time”
He sensed that the elders would gather
This evening, with the medicine man
Who said, angrily, it was time
Time to try the old ways
Local priests pooh, poohed the idea
Superstition from the past
They warned the elders about making God angry
I found it strange that a God of love
Would be angry
With the natural healing aboriginal way
To heal the sick
I think no one believed the priests
Felt the priests did not know their own God
After the meeting with spokesmen of the church
It was sad to see fear in the walk even of the elders
Uncertain where they truly stood
Yet more afraid of their medicine man
That they could see
Rather than the priests unseen God
A healing circle
Would be held next day
After the medicine man prepared his spirit
For the healing journey and ordeal before them
Strong young men, as I was
Were chosen to accompany the medicine man
On the spirit journey to seek out
The lost spirit or spirits of old Elijah
Begging them to return to him, give him life
I waited
Breathing in the excitement
Finding myself chosen to be part of this journey
Cleansing ceremonies would be held
That evening, preparing our own spirits
My heart seemed to say to me, “it is good.”
……………………………………………………………
I did not know how I had changed
I only knew that I had
No doubt, no uncertainty
The brook began speaking to me
Speaking of his history
Yes, and mine
Of the journey that I had begun
Where I would journey to
Of the teachers I would meet
Within this world and beyond it
And as I sat there, absorbed in it all
My brothers of another time
Filed into the clearing nearby
Gathering firewood
As women built temporary shelters
For everyone
As the sun began to set
A roaring fire began to speak and spit
In the center of the field
The men, the young and the very old
Began dancing and chanting
Lifting voice and soul
To all that men call God
Puzzled, because the dance
Was a victory dance
Honoring the quest I had just begun
The ancient ones feasted and danced
‘Til the sun again began to rise
The fire and the dancers began to fade
Into, becoming a part of, the morning mist
Again I was alone, but I now knew
That I ‘was’ a chosen one, knew that
There was a reason for my life
A task or tasks that I must accomplish
I rejoiced in my heart
No man could ever tell me
There was no spirit world
There was no God
For all that they may not be near
I knew I would never be alone.
……………………………………………………………………………
5
As I walked the path over the creek
Through the forest to my home
A voice beside and behind said warmly
You have met your guides
Your journey has begun
Wah, I said, nodding, it is so
I said no more but walked to my home
Ignoring others who spoke
Finding voices somehow irritating
In the moment, they did not belong
Compared to all that I had witnessed
The gentle sounds that I heard
I entered my home and sat
Watching the women scurry about
Doing the everyday chores, singing and chatting
I saw these mothers, mothers to be
My heart swelled with a sense of respect
I could compare them to the earth mother
Indeed, I sensed a relationship
Between the earth mother and all mothers
Of man, of animals and fish, even the insects
Why, I thought
Could I not see all of this before now
It now seemed so obvious
All connected in subtle ways
Unseen by blind and greedy men
Intent on a wealth they cannot hold
Beyond the moment
Losing the natural fortune around us
The value of that life
The spiritual value of all things
In their time and their place
They are unable to stop, I think
From their mad pace
To smell, taste, feel, the life of spirit
That is around us always
Waiting to teach us life’s truths.
…………………………………………………………………
6
Old Elijah was sick
The doctors from the white hospital
Said “it is only a matter of time”
He sensed that the elders would gather
This evening, with the medicine man
Who said, angrily, it was time
Time to try the old ways
Local priests pooh, poohed the idea
Superstition from the past
They warned the elders about making God angry
I found it strange that a God of love
Would be angry
With the natural healing aboriginal way
To heal the sick
I think no one believed the priests
Felt the priests did not know their own God
After the meeting with spokesmen of the church
It was sad to see fear in the walk even of the elders
Uncertain where they truly stood
Yet more afraid of their medicine man
That they could see
Rather than the priests unseen God
A healing circle
Would be held next day
After the medicine man prepared his spirit
For the healing journey and ordeal before them
Strong young men, as I was
Were chosen to accompany the medicine man
On the spirit journey to seek out
The lost spirit or spirits of old Elijah
Begging them to return to him, give him life
I waited
Breathing in the excitement
Finding myself chosen to be part of this journey
Cleansing ceremonies would be held
That evening, preparing our own spirits
My heart seemed to say to me, “it is good.”
……………………………………………………………
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