the song too near
sorrow’s bones
ivory dust clings to prairie rose
the scent of death lingers
the heart of a nation
unwavering
a time of war
declared
oil or water?
above it all
the fire’s lyrics blue
the harmony of night fades
sparks small and tight
alive, in the brief of dawn
Standing Rock
standing up
armless warriors
heartening faith
renamed this world
for the love of this land
small words melt at midnight
melt into another song
sounds arise out of dying pink
pedals blanket
yesterday’s bones
winter is here
This poem “Standing Rock” originally appeared in Indigenous Literature and the Arts of Comunity. Spec. issue of Canadian Literature 230-231 (Autumn/Winter 2016): 123.
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