The Voice

“first there is a word
the word is the song

1

song gives birth to
the song and dance
as the dance steps
the story speaks

2

the icy mountain water
that pierces the deep thirst
drums my fire
drums my medicine pouch

3

deep within my blood
a feather in the sky
foam on clear water
Tayko-mol!

4

free as the bear
and tall as redwoods
throb my blood roots
when spirits ride high

5

a valley ripe with acorns
and yellow poppies everywhere
as i stand here
dreaming of you

6

jolting my dream
an old man struggling
with an eel his coat appears
disheveled and empty

7

in a sacred manner
i sang and waited
a lick of your blood
i must take, reverently, deer

8

for you, blue corn baby,
my thoughts
on a melody of love
sail the sky

9

around fire on my head
a rattlesnake hisses and slithers
then flies up out of sight
fighting in sleep i cry out

10

the snake in my spine is tensing
for combat
thoughts become forced and tight
the air is a sharp knife

11

from under me today
the earth was pulled
balancing on a sharp mountain ridge
i search for a plain

12

Tayko-mol has not left us
but lives in the pulse
of our words, and waits
in the azure for us all