BUFFALO DAWN
Cold,
So cold
The buffalo's breathe
Lingers in the air
Like a frozen cloud.
Little John,
Running barefoot
Through the early
Morning frost.
Running for
Grandmother's lodge.
The hawk circles
In rings of campfire smoke.
The smoke lays heavy
Over the camp
Like a mystical cloud.
A dog barks
At the edge
Of the forest.
A rabbit darts
Across the field.
Sunlight breaks
Across the treetops.
Bird tracks
In the frost.
A mockingbird
Greets the day,
His song swirling
In the mist;
The misty morning light.
A baby cries,
A woman stirs.
The neighing of a horse,
Voices in the distance.
Glowing embers
In the gray of the buffalo tent.
Naked bodies
Warm against each other,
Warm under the buffalo skins.
Warm inside the tent.
Too warm to move;
Too warm to move.
The fire crackles,
The buffalo meat sizzles.
The savory scent
Rises from the
Cracked-frost earth.
And the bones of the buffalo
Bleach in the sun.
The great event has occurred.
The sun has risen again
To make his journey across the sky.
We too have been resurrected.
Our spirits arise from slumber
To meet our destiny,
To journey with the sun
To the second great event;
The setting of the sun
And the resting of our souls.
The buffalo blinks
In the early morning light.
A wealth of wisdom
In his eyes, in his sight.
He stands majestic
In the early morning light.
Silent Savior
Giver of life
Son of the earth
Breathe of light.
Cold,
So cold
The buffalo's breathe
Lingers in the air
Like a frozen cloud.
Copyright May 24, 2002 JGO/Spanky Mongo