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White Buffalo Calf Woman
| Open Poetry #45 |
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White Buffalo Calf Woman |
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TheAnonDavid Member
since 2008-08-28
Posts 237UK 
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Come, my chldren, sit beside me, While I tell my sacred stories, While the shadows of the firelight Nurture well our former glories. Gather closely, cast off dreaming, We have all this night before us; Close your eyes and hear the night birds Charm the west wind with their chorus. Hear a thousand whisp'ring ripples, Hark the music of the water, Every sigh a brave in waiting, Every note a laughing daughter. They all join us when I tell you How our fathers, feared and wary, Saw the Spirit walk among us, Watched the Spirit walk the prairie. Back when mighty trees were seedlings When the mountains were much younger, Evil stalked among our people Bringing death, disease and hunger. Ev'ry day we grew more weary, Mothers sobbing, fathers sighing, While the evil kept on stalking, Killing faster, multiplying. Two young warriors went forth hunting, On a day of summer hazes, Of the Spirit asking favours, To the Spirit giving praises; Far away they searched the grasslands Meeting no one, no resistance, Till they looked at the horizon, Till they looked into the distance. There they saw a sight to hold them, Made them stare in awe and wonder; Marvel filled their minds and vision, Pounded in their ears like thunder. She had hair as black as midnight When the moon was not on duty, Eyes as deep as endless caverns Black as jet with twice the beauty. She was clad in whitest calfskin, Bleached so bright, so bright and shining; Ev'ry movement stirred the senses, Senses, lust and want combining. In the sunlight stood before them Never frowning, never smiling, To the braves she seemed so perfect, Gentle, perfect and beguiling. In a trice of stupid action One young brave reached out with daring Saying to his friend, "I want her," Said with lust, no show of caring. As his hand reached out to touch her, Ere he had the chance to wonder, Came a blinding flash of lightning Came an angry roar of thunder. In a blink the flames consumed him, On the floor his bones lay burning; Just his bones, a bleak reminder Of his human, thoughtless yearning. "Know my name, I'm lila wakan. Disrespect you must not show me. I bring riches for your nation If you honour me and show me. "Travel back unto your homeland To your people who are waiting. Say the sacred woman follows, One they are anticipating. Build a mighty med'cine tipi With a central earthen altar. Go and do these things I ask you, Do them well and do not falter." With her words still in his mem'ry To his home the brave ran quickly Till he found his family's lodges; Questions poured out swiftly, thickly, Yet they did as she requested, Built a lodge to her instructions; Four and twenty poles they covered Guaranteed against destruction. Four whole days passed as they waited, ("Come, oh sister," they'd implore her), Till she stood at last before them, Till at last they could adore her. Round the tipi she walked slowly As she checked on all conditions Following the sun's prime pathway Following the sun's positions. Then, beside the chief she halted And her eyes were soft, contented. Chanunpa she held before him, Holiest of pipes presented. As her right hand held the long stem In her left the bowl soft rested; Thus she taught them of its purpose, No one spoke and none protested. "Fill the pipe with red tobacco From the special bark of willow. In the bowl a fire eternal With the smoke will burn and billow. As the smoke floats to the heavens It becomes a sacred breathing That will link the generations With its clouding and its wreathing. "As you stand upon the prairies, In the valleys, on the ridges, So the smoke will drift e'er upwards Forming sacred, living bridges. Wakan Tanka smiles upon us, All his love forever giving, Ev'ry thing on Earth is one life One large fam'ly - sharing, living." Many sacred tales she taught them, Men and women, children listened, Not a word would any utter As their eyes with tear drops glistened. Then she told them they were chosen As she made the revelations. They must guard the holy peace pipe, Guard it for all other Nations. Thus she left and made a promise, She would ease their wistful longing. As she vanished in the distance, Countless specks in dust were thronging; Buffalo in untold thousands Almost in a celebration Brought an ending to the famine Saving thus the chosen nation. This is another of my occasional interpretations of the legends of the Lakota. As I read this over again I am not certain if I have really told the essence of the story as well as I would wish. Any misunderstandings are purely my own. This is the tale of the WHITE BUFFALO CALF WOMAN. The story is told of how she gave the Lakota the sacred pipe, chanunpa, and explained its mysteries. It was a time before the buffalo roamed the North American plains in their millions and tells how they first appeared to the Lakota at a time of famine. *wakan tanka is the name of the great spirit (or more correctly the great mystery.) [This message has been edited by TheAnonDavid (07-09-2009 08:45 AM).] |
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| © Copyright 2009 David M M (UK) - All Rights Reserved | |||
Midnitesun
since 2001-05-18
Posts 28647Gaia |
A fine tale you've told. I am somewhat familiar with many Lakota stories, from a hoop dancer from Standing Rock, and from the readings I've done, your story rings familiar. |
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WTBAKELAR
since 2008-09-09
Posts 1089Utah, USA |
David, This was fascinating, I really enjoyed reading it and was spell bound till the end. What a wonderful poem and story. Very well done, Thank you for sharing, Tracey. |
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Mysteria
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada |
I love these poems, and this was especially well done. Carpe' Diem, |
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Earth Angel Member Empyrean
since 2002-08-27
Posts 40215Realms of Light |
This held my attention from the very first line: ~ "Come, my chldren, sit beside me," I very much enjoyed your interpretation of this Lakota tale.  EA |
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