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YOTA’ANIT, THE JEALOUS SPIRIT OF FIRE
| Open Poetry #33 |
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YOTA’ANIT, THE JEALOUS SPIRIT OF FIRE |
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Abe Senior Member
since 2003-05-28
Posts 694Looks like Vero Beach, FL until the end! 
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YOTA’ANIT, THE JEALOUS SPIRIT OF FIRE (Narragansett Fire Spirit) A long, long time ago Before the white man came There was a Great Sachem And Sogagonish was his name. He was very powerful Because of his strong Manitou And all of his people tried To make His every wish come true. He had five sons and a daughter Whom he loved with all his heart But his love for the girl Set her on a pedestal, apart. His wife went to Cautantowwit’s House Just the very last winter And his daughter now tended him And he counted on her, for sure. When she reached the age to marry She became very, very sad And her father asked her why Her eyes no longer sparkled like they had. She explained that when she was married She could no longer tend his fire And could not fix his favorite meals And her will to live longer would expire. She said, if she were forced to marry She’d eat the berries he’d warned her about He’d said that if she’d eaten them She’d have died without a doubt. His heart was nearly broken When he heard her tale of woe Made it known she would not marry Until, it was his time to go. She was very happy once again And cooked his favorite foods each day Sewed him brand-new moccasins Even before his old ones worn away. Then on one very cold night She built the fire larger than most So her father wouldn’t catch a draft And she’d have to tend it very close. But she was tired from caring for him And she fell asleep near the huge flames The oldest brother smelled the sickening smoke And ran to find the burnt remains. He cried out with such grief That the whole tribe was awakened He told them both had perished That their beloved Sachem had been taken. The people were so upset they called a meeting And asked their medicine man to pray To ask the Spirits in the spirit world Why they had lost so much that day. How could the Spirit of the Fire Become so offended and upset To take their Chief and his daughter To the house of Cautantowwit. The old, wise medicine man Said they would have a great clue And that next night the youngest son Had a dream and then he knew. A crow came to him in his sleep And explained the painful fate So he gathered all the people To tell the story he’d relate. Yota’anit, the Spirit of Fire Felt other Spirits got more love Like the Spirits of the Sea and Sky And the Moon up above. He was always blamed for burning them Or not warming them from the cold They fall in love under the Moon All of them, young and old. The Spirit of the Sun got honored For making all of the crops grow But there’s no praise for Yota’anit For his heat and soft red glow. He thinks that he’s not honored Though maybe feared and respected And the tragedy was just his way To show how he felt neglected. The people were so hurt and sad They swore they would change their ways They would honor and respect him For all the rest of their days. The first Spring after the tragedy They burned everything they owned And when they moved from their Summer quarters Burned all but what they wore and tools of stone. Other Tribes thought that they were crazy But when the new diseases came Their people were strangely spared And things would never be the same. Once again they asked the Medicine Man To talk to the Spirit World to see If this luck, was their reward And they found that, to be. And even until this day in time When there’s a lover’s desire It’s nurtured by the soft, warm glow Of Yota’anit’s Spiritual Fire. Del "Abe" Jones 09-18-2004 Del "Abe" Jones |
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| © Copyright 2004 Del - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
YES! Thank you, Sir! |
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