THE PASSING, Bronze ~ INDIAN DEATH RITUAL Options

[Cybele]

THE PASSING

A blood-red halo
crowns the mountain,
silently stealing the night.

Silky soft ether caresses
his face- ancient, leathered
and weathered by countless suns.

His closed eyes filter the new light
through almost translucent lids.
Withered arms remain outstretched
beseeching his spirit ancestors
to share eternity with him.

The gentle breeze strengthens,
lifting and rummaging beneath
his cloak of aged buffalo hide,
inquisitively fingering the
parchment skin stretched
drum-tight over bones
as old as memory.

Motionless, he sits in trance
through many phases of the moon;
a shell from which all life
but breath has fled,
patiently awaiting
The Passing.

Suddenly, an eagle soars,
its spirit whispering on the wind
a final answer to his chant.

© Grace Galton October 2003

[Cleo_Serapis]

Thank you for entry into "Odin's Opposition"!

Best of luck in the battle!

~Mosaic Musings Staff

[Cleo_Serapis]

Congratulations on your Bronze placement!

You have risen up, drank from the Well of Wisdom and have been crowned the ‘bringer of bronze’!

Well done!
:pharoah2

[Psyche]

Dear Grace !  :sun:

This is a really wonderful poem ! It gives one a feeling of awe, of the mystical and unknowable, realms beyond our reach. You've captured the mood perfectly.

I think you should write a collection on Indian poetry. You handle it so deftly and with such powerfully poetic imagery.

Congrats, Grace !
Love,
Sylvia  :snail:  :turtle:

[AMETHYST]

Hi Grace,

What a beauitiful piece of poetry! As Sylvia mentions, there is a sense of mystical and magical aura to this. The images are wonderful. Congratulations on the win...a worthy piece of work!

Best wishes, Liz

[Cybele]

Good Morning Sylvia and Liz,  :sun:

Many thanks for your kind words. Much appreciated.

I would have found it almost impossible (as did the judges) to separate your two wonderful, winning pieces. Both deserved to win, it is just a shame that we couldn't have a tie.

Never mind, may your gold and silver shine on!  :cloud9:  :cloud9:

[Psyche]

Thank you, Grace !  :sun:

But I see no answer from you about continuing to write about Indians, their spirituality and all the mystery surrounding their knowledge of the Earth. I well remember the other short poem you wrote about the Indian & his ancestors. This one is even more impressive. Please keep this up, I mean it, Grace.

Shall be waiting....  :)

Hugs,
Sylvia  :turtle:

[Morgan le Fay]

Congratulations Grace!  :dance:

On a most worthy award.   :pharoah2  

I remember this poem well.  The first time I'd read it I knew it was something special and was glad to see that you'd entered this one into the competition.  I have gone back to this poem many times for the pure enjoyment of reading it.

As others have mentioned, it has always filled me with a sense of awe, and also spiritual humility.  Your use of imagry and the skill to reach right into mine and other's hearts with this piece is just pure magic.  :lovie:

It's just beautiful Grace.  Congratulations again!  {{hugs}}

Love and stuff,
Chris :)

[Cybele]

Hello Chris,

Thank you so much for your kind comments.

There is something so noble about the North American Indian that strikes a chord in me. (Perhaps in a former life I was a squaw called Big Foot Crushes Corn or somesuch! More likely I was a charging buffalo, there being absolutely nothing dainty about me! )

and Sylvia,

Yes I will try to write more when time permits. I just have so much on at present I haven't had time to write anything for weeks. I have a few days coming up and I intend to use it for research on the subject.

[Guest_Don_*]

Thanks for the poem and congratulations on the award.

Researching American Indians is infinite. The number of tribes are overwhelming. It seems the dividing difference between native Americans and European settlers was ownership of land. The indigenous had tribal zones, but they traveled and traded extensively.  What we now call Kentucky was a sacred common hunting ground.  

Of course, perhaps another big divide was their inherent communion with nature (like Celts) which was of this earth contrasted to newcomers beliefs in extraterrestial like heaven and an afterlife reward.

Ah, I wander off the subject.

Don

[Cybele]

Hello Don,

Thank you for visiting and commenting. It is good to see you here.
I hope your convalescence it going well?

Yes, as you say this subject is infinite and I am reading furiously, more for interest at the moment than with a plan in mind. I shall wait for something to strike me severely about the brains and then try to depict it in a poem.

[Guest_Don_*]

Hi Grace,

Fortunately, there are well known British authors expert on the subject of American Indians. The problem is culling through the conflicts with whites to discern the essence of these peoples.  

The Shawnee (people of the sun) who were important in Ohio, Indiana terrritorys were descendants of Central Mexico who left that homeland due to persecution of strong cruel rulers of another tribe.  

Florida Seminole Indians were the only ones never to sign a treaty with U.S. Government.  They lived in the swamps; therefore, too difficult to root out.

The great Cherokee nation were vast traders and have outstandingly handsome men.  They were the only ones to devise a written alphabet to compare with whitemen's written communication.  Ah yes, another essential divide was their verbal cultures and our writing cultures.

I am mending very well thank you.  I gather Jox/James and JustDaniel are both suffering illnesses.

How about yourself?

I like your approach with initial readings until a flash of light strikes.

Don

[Cybele]

Hi Don,

Thank you so much for the tidbits of information.

The great Cherokee nation were vast traders and have outstandingly handsome men.  They were the only ones to devise a written alphabet to compare with whitemen's written communication.  Ah yes, another essential divide was their verbal cultures and our writing cultures.

I am particularly interested in the Cherokee and their expulsion from Georgia because of the Gold Rush there and the consequent "Trail of Tears" to their new homeland in Oklahoma. It all makes fascinating reading ~ but there is so much of it to sift through to try to produce one small poem.  :hsdance:

Keep getting better Don, that's great news.