07-29-2014, 10:48 AM
Bunx/Erthona/Billy/Ellajam
The Elder's Prayer
Jingle-dress dancers stood on their toes,
waiting to hear him speak.
When he did, it sounded of mumbling
and rumbling at once;
like an auctioneer with one last feather to sell.
A hawk watched over, circling devoutly,
making sure there was no sniggering
amongst the children.
When the Elder finished,
some of us applauded;
nervously forgetting
the Chippewa word for respect.
But it was not the same as sniggering,
and the hawk was gone.
Quickly,
drums made thunder at the ends of red fists.
I could hardly swallow
when the first voices ripped the sky.
No one sings like that,
for a strictly human audience.
The dancers entered, spilling paint
on a stretch of grassy stage;
not a neutral, eggshell white,
but turquoise and blood – in high gloss.
Brightest of all were the jingle-dress dancers;
they had learned the drums in their femurs,
and flittered on faith
when the singers cried lift.
They carried the Elder’s prayer in their hips,
and answered it for us.
----------------------------------------
Original
The Elder's Prayer
The jingle-dress dancers stood on their toes,
waiting to hear him speak.
When he did, it sounded of mumbling
and rumbling, at once;
like an auctioneer with one last feather to sell.
A hawk watched over it all, circling devoutly,
making sure there was no sniggering
amongst the children.
When the Elder finished,
some of us applauded;
nervously forgetting
the Chippewa word for respect.
But it was not the same as sniggering,
and the hawk was gone.
***
Quickly,
drums made thunder at the ends of red fists-
and I could hardly swallow
when the first voices ripped the sky.
No one sings like that.
(not for a strictly human audience, anyway)
The dancers entered, spilling paint
on a stretch of grassy stage-
and not a neutral eggshell white,
but turquoise and blood- in high gloss.
Brightest of all were the jingle-dress dancers-
they had learned the drums in their femurs,
and the singing never passed through them.
They carried the Elder’s prayer in their hips,
and answered it for us.
The Elder's Prayer
Jingle-dress dancers stood on their toes,
waiting to hear him speak.
When he did, it sounded of mumbling
and rumbling at once;
like an auctioneer with one last feather to sell.
A hawk watched over, circling devoutly,
making sure there was no sniggering
amongst the children.
When the Elder finished,
some of us applauded;
nervously forgetting
the Chippewa word for respect.
But it was not the same as sniggering,
and the hawk was gone.
Quickly,
drums made thunder at the ends of red fists.
I could hardly swallow
when the first voices ripped the sky.
No one sings like that,
for a strictly human audience.
The dancers entered, spilling paint
on a stretch of grassy stage;
not a neutral, eggshell white,
but turquoise and blood – in high gloss.
Brightest of all were the jingle-dress dancers;
they had learned the drums in their femurs,
and flittered on faith
when the singers cried lift.
They carried the Elder’s prayer in their hips,
and answered it for us.
----------------------------------------
Original
The Elder's Prayer
The jingle-dress dancers stood on their toes,
waiting to hear him speak.
When he did, it sounded of mumbling
and rumbling, at once;
like an auctioneer with one last feather to sell.
A hawk watched over it all, circling devoutly,
making sure there was no sniggering
amongst the children.
When the Elder finished,
some of us applauded;
nervously forgetting
the Chippewa word for respect.
But it was not the same as sniggering,
and the hawk was gone.
***
Quickly,
drums made thunder at the ends of red fists-
and I could hardly swallow
when the first voices ripped the sky.
No one sings like that.
(not for a strictly human audience, anyway)
The dancers entered, spilling paint
on a stretch of grassy stage-
and not a neutral eggshell white,
but turquoise and blood- in high gloss.
Brightest of all were the jingle-dress dancers-
they had learned the drums in their femurs,
and the singing never passed through them.
They carried the Elder’s prayer in their hips,
and answered it for us.