I will teach my daughter to own every part of her body.
From the roots of her hair to the tip of her toenails.
My daughter will be strong, not meek;
Earn respect not take; give only when deserved.
Sometimes the only sound I want to hear
is that of my own heart beat
so that I'm reminded of the fact that
I'm living for my own soul
and thal all the noises from others do not matter.
Red Shawl,
our people's last swaddle blanket
over the coffin,
the prayers of our people wrapped in it,
the only thing worth smuggling into the afterlife
They had been doing fine without the technology, the rock music, the Yamaha RX 350 bike, and the heroin. They had each other. They had the community. They had the forest, the hunting, and the fishing....
Life was simple. There were rights and wrongs. Honest and dishonest people. And there were consequences for one’s action. The most important thing in her life was to choose one way and live by it.
Our ancestors believe those who love home
make their final rest in a foreign land.
Dying anywhere but home is
the loneliest of thoughts.