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Open Poetry #18
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For All the Lives of My Ancestors
| Open Poetry #18 |
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For All the Lives of My Ancestors |
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jwesley Member Rara Avis
since 2000-04-30
Posts 7563Spring, Texas 
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For All the Lives of My Ancestors For all of the lives of my ancestors we have lived on this land - land that has always been our home. We have never not been on this land, under this sky, this sun, this moon: like it, we have always been here. But now we are told this is no longer our land, we have no right to it, we must give it up to the white-man; the white-man who has never before lived on this land, who has never before lived under this sky, whose ancestors have never belonged to this land. I look out over this land that provides everything; the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the water we drink, the air we breathe, the sun, and the shade. Unlike the white-man, we take only what we need, only what we can use; yet, we are the ones who must leave? I call to the Great Spirit, to all the Spirits who guide us. I ask Why - how is it we are the ones who are wrong, how is it we are the ones who do not belong; I ask - Why? The white-man calls us heathens; he says this means we have no God. He says there is only one God, his God; it is Him that we must pray to. This troubles my heart, the souls of my people, so I ask the Great Spirit - what is a God if not the Great Spirit by another name? What is Holy, as the white-man says his church is - this place to which he says we must go to prepare ourselves for life after life - what is Holy, if not our sacred places, if not the places where our ancestors lie beneath the earth; what is Holy, if not our prayers and songs of praise. This I also ask. We live. We die. We treat the land, the water with honor. We treat all life with respect, thanking those that die so we may live, We pray for the spirits of our ancestors that they might be happy. We thank the Great Spirit for our newborn and all that He provides. We love life, the land, our home - yet we must leave? I look out over this land, I ask the Great Spirit, all the Spirits that guide us; Why? wesley james beard, jr. © january 2002 …with respect to those who suffered, those who still do - the American Indian. |
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| © Copyright 2002 Wesley James Beard, Jr. - All Rights Reserved | |||
Mistletoe Angel 
since 2000-12-17
Posts 32816Portland, Oregon |
 (tears fall down my cheeks) So very sad but well-written, sweet friend, my heart cries out to all these Indians and to all the land they've lost and the tears they've left behind in their travels. (sad sigh) Much of my ancestry is Cherokee Indian, and my heart goes out to them all, I join you in your prayers, sweet friend! God Bless You, sweet friend, we all love you so much, this is sad but very powerful! You have such a beautiful heart, sweet James, thank you for sharing!  May love and light always shine upon you! Love, Noah Eaton |
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Midnitesun
since 2001-05-18
Posts 28647Gaia |
Can I give you a big cyber hug? That's all I can say right now. This poem carries a powerful message. Indeed, where is justice and honesty, in past history, or present day reality? "I ask Why - how is it we are the ones who are wrong, how is it we are the ones who do not belong; I ask - Why?" And still the question is "Why?" I am not so sure that anyone wants to face up to the answer to that question. |
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Startime Member Ascendant
since 2000-10-03
Posts 5918Canada |
*sigh* I do not think there is an answer to the Why....maybe so that today we could humble ourselves enough to see and admit to the great wrong that was done....*sigh* it breaks my heart to see what has been done to so proud and spiritual a people...Here, in Canada, my heart breaks to see how much of their heritage has been stolen from them...I can only say on behalf of my ancestors "I am deeply sorry" never can that compensate for what was lost. **big hugs**  Love I leave with you whether it is in your life now or yet the essense of your dreams. |
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Ivy Rose Senior Member
since 2001-12-29
Posts 1300MA, USA |
My dear friend...Outstanding poem about my passion...the Native Americans. How true your words are. These People are a people of great spirituality. How I admire them. Thank you for posting this...jwesley. ***Ivy Rose |
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ecrivan Member Elite
since 2001-12-10
Posts 3923my own state |
sad yet real post hear, I have written a script for native people's causes and it's a pity that history has been so unfair to them  hope for the future?sigh |
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Irish Rose Member Patricius
since 2000-04-06
Posts 10263 |
this is wonderful, what a tribute. I had a feeling similar to this when I visited the East Coast for the first time and saw where my mother grew up, in Massachusetts. Enjoyed. Kathleen--(Kay) |
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strbbux Member Elite
since 2001-12-19
Posts 3859 |
a nice tribute to the American Indian Wesley I have a friend who is one, and this is a beautiful poem, sad, and true. floria |
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jwesley Member Rara Avis
since 2000-04-30
Posts 7563Spring, Texas |
Noah - thanks much my friend - my family had/has so many faces in the woodpile I think I'm a little of everything...dog, sheep...hee hee.... Midnitesun - Being one of my favorite people, (funny how one gets that kind of feeling when we've never met or even said much to one another) you can give me any kind of hug, anytime...thanks for the kind words. Startime - Greed, my friend, and abuse of power (like congressmen - oops, did I say that). The insult to the whole thing is that it's very little different today... Ivy Rose - Also at the top of my list of favorites, happy I am that you live here now and Proud I am that you liked this piece. One day, if I keep trying (as I keep telling Marge) I may even say what I really feel - inside. So much, so very much I'd like to write about this group of people, only I don't know how to say it. I keep reading and reading, especially by Native authors, and it just gets deeper and deeper. (oops this is supposed to be a comment, huh?) thanks again, My Friend. ecrivan - not sure I know you, or read your works yet (if I have, I apologize for the loss of memory but - hey, age does that, they say...) but I will, I will...thank you for taking the time... Irish Rose - I believe they touch us all in some way - my wife says she has trouble relating because she hasn't been there, done that, etc., yet she feels their plight through my words (really made me feel good). I feel them in the center of my soul, by contrast, or believe I do anyway. strbbux...that you floria, means much to know you feel that way. I BELIEVE that of all the races in this country that believe themselves to be second class citizens (for whatever reason)the only group that has truly been relegated to that status, and kept there throughout history, is the American Indian - and he was put there by all races, not just one; after all, the American Indian was the landower - all others stole that from him. There are, to be sure, individual exceptions to this, but they are... individual. jwesley [This message has been edited by jwesley (01-16-2002 02:38 PM).] |
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jwesley Member Rara Avis
since 2000-04-30
Posts 7563Spring, Texas |
OOPs! Doubled the above post - sorry, [This message has been edited by jwesley (01-16-2002 02:36 PM).] |
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