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A Circle Of Wings

from Sky Drum by Oliver Loveday

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about

A spoken word poem using the history of the Sand Creek incident as a backdrop for the spiritual renewal of Native peoples today.

lyrics

A Circle of Wings

At Sand Creek the women opened up their blouses to show
The soldiers their breasts, to show they were women.
They were killed anyway.

There was a time we were happy.
The people knew happiness.
The children ran in the meadows amongst the flowers
And butterflies.
The women sang while they worked.
The men prayed before they hunted.
Then the darkness filled the air with fear.

They cut off our wings.
They cut out our throats of music.
They broke the pots of clay that contained our cosmos.
They burnt and trampled our baskets woven with the symbols
Of the spirit world.
They cut out our eyes of vision.
They cut off our open hands that held no weapon of malice.
They cut off our feet that ran and danced in freedom.
They filled the skies with choking smoke.
They cut down the trees.
They filled the streams with poison.
They killed the buffalo.
They broke open the earth to remove the bones of our mother.
They sucked the oil out of her breast.
They killed the salmon and whale we sang to for life.
They cut off our wings and caged us.

At Sand Creek the women in a shallow gorge sent out a young girl
Toward the soldiers with white cloth on a stick.
The soldiers shot the child and then rode over her body as they
Moved closer to kill the women.

We are growing new wings.
We are remembering our songs and prayers.
We are seeking new visions for the people.
We are dancing and running.
Our baskets and pottery contain new dreams.
Now we know when to show our hands empty and when to leave them unemptied.

Our wings are in a circle.
Hold the hands of those beside you.
Join the circle and celebrate freedom.
Raise up your voices and sing the songs
the star nations have given us.
Raise up your wings and embrace vision.
Now is the time to stand strong together.
We have survived.

Tecumseh worked to keep the nations united.
He traveled the country working to avoid the fragmentation
of the People against the wave of fear.
His work will continue until the people stand in a circle again.
He was known to always wear a headband of red and blue cloth.

The buffalo are returning.
The star nations are removing the fear from the air.
Our wings have new feathers.
Ay-eee-yah! A circle is forming.
Ho!

Oliver Loveday © 12/11/92/3pmEST

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from Sky Drum, released October 10, 2023
Oliver Loveday: poet

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Oliver Loveday Morristown, Tennessee

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