They were urged to rise up and go out
of their villages and go moonless into the world
to go, yes, by all means, go. They heard
of souls black night without stars, soulless.
Like pale shoots beneath rocks, we needed
uncovering and so they went the distance.
They sailed, marched, swung
became nothing short of an army of ants,
foraging until their bellies drug on the dry earthen paths.
They taught and preached, threatened,
bred like mice under the straw stacks huddled
in the field. In flannels and serge, in white and black,
in moon-faced wimples, they came with hollow sockets
that smoldered for witness of their Christly Crusade.
They fed those who were not hungry
from palms they said had touched
the hands of holy and with those same hands
calloused from gripping the straps, lifted the skirts of my sisters,
touched the tender places of my brothers, stretched ears
and had them kiss lye soap for their language.
They swallowed us whole. Some turned away
from their merciless manipulations . Some they simply buried
outside the rectories. But bury us they did dead or alive,
placed stakes in the hearts of those that lived. Oh, yes, they came,
and stood at the front of class with lips bleeding
from the devouring of my culture.
Author notes
My grandmother tells a story of her first encounter with a white teacher after Residential School. The children were terrified of this woman with bleeding lips.
Written March 21st, 2006
In a list
A contest entry
- image- 3 by Cat.
300 points, ended March 29, 2006, 11 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 24 of 24
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...history which is censored...good to see someone is telling the disturbing truth
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ty thrawn...if there is truth, I know, I am compelled to share. We can forgive but, by god, we must never forget. soemtimes it comes across as bitterness, and perhaps, my native voice has the sighs and moans of my ancestors in it. All will be well when my own people, pick up the voice and tell and let it stop being their crutch for not takign hold of life and all it offers in a contemporary life. I appreciate your comments.
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the past is kept alive with your powerful words...and that causes a disturbing presence in the mind of the reader....
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Yes
It is part of our history.......sad and simply destroyed many.
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It tells it from both perspectives which , I think, made it even more disturbing.
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i have not seen that series. It is something I owuld liek to look at too see if it is told from a native perspective or not. I appreciate you telling me about it.
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Tks rowan. One owuld not think red lipstick on a young teacher coming on to a Reservation would make such conenctions...but it is something not to be forgotten.
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Very well done and congratulations- I actually read your poem just after having watched he disc dvd set of Into the West, and I was so moved and angry about the treatment of Native Americans (I mean I knew, but Spielberg's work in putting it ther eon screen in such a way really brought it home) that for days I was quite beside myself. Still am when I think of it. The poem is magnificent and well deserving of a trophy here. Gill and Mary must have had a dreadful job to separate so many of the poems in this contest.
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A very well-thought out, and deserving win! Congratulations!
Very disturbing, because of it's truth.
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yes,- i understand the meaning of the phrasing- i still think it detracts from the read slightly-
m -
Thank you Mary. I used the "yes" as we would when we give lip service, almost tongue in cheek. That is why I added it both att he beginnign and the ending.
I do appreciate your comments and consider your advice. -
Oh- one slight nit- in my opinion the yes's seem overkill-
that's it.
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holy crap- just when i thought i had my choices for this contest pretty much figured out- you swoop in from where? with your maya angelou voice (this reminds me so strongly of one of my favorite poems "family affairs")- your proud words- your beautifully detailed history- your sad story and whallop this judge on the ass-
wow- wow-
I can not wait to read more of you- This is
exactly what i love about judging these contests- occasionally i find a you in the group and am completely
enthralled-
Such a wonderful asset to our contest.
m -
Thank you, Gill. The picture so reminded me of the story I had heard. It is good for me to get it written down.
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I enjoyed this story/poem that you've entered into our contest.
I was fascinated by the story and would like to see more stories that you have on this subject.
I especially liked the last stanza:
"They swallowed us whole. Some turned away
from their merciless manipulations . Some they simply buried
outside the rectories. But bury us they did dead or alive,
placed stakes in the hearts of those that lived. Oh, yes, they came,
and stood at the front of class with lips bleeding
from the devouring of my culture."
You have a voice that is resonant here and I can hear your frustrations and your Grandmother's too.
well done and good luck
~GILL~x
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Oh, my goodness, Rob, as the helicopters fly around the Mohawk villages, I sought to write.
Not all were such, but so many were. All, intentionally or unintentionally, mistook what it was we needed. Even those who thought they were there to save us from the tyranny were romanticizing us, we attepting to make us their "good" deed.
Those people who believe they honor us by picking up those romanticized notions of who were were, "handsome, glistening young Fabio's, princesses, stoic, tree-hugging romantic figures do my ancestors great injustice, Usinf the pictures of flawless young women, sitting with wolves and young couples, looking very Harlequin, is not who we were. I see this all the time, even here on allpoetry. They mean well, I am sure but they are mistaken and misguided and perpetuate the alternate stereotype.
Thank you, for your words. -
I have written, more than once on this subject. About the languages, beaten out of the mouths of the children at the boarding schools. About missionaries, with dark gods riding them on ugly missions. I have never done so with the power, raw emotion, and dignity you brought here.
I ilve and work near a northern rez. Recently, "we" celebrated a public figure who is thought of as a savoir of the environment. He created a national wilderness area encompassing an archepelago of Islands. Unsaid is the fact that he saught to protect this area to be an exclusive playground for the wealthy yaghtsman. He wanted to move two populations of Americans,[Ojibwa] from their homes. One from a large Island they held sacred, and another a rez on the mainland shore. He wanted to move them inland to a recently logged-over wasteland. He was unsuccessful in part of his quest.But he did manage to remove the fishermen, loggers, farmers, and the Ojibwa from all but one of the Islands. "We" are quite clumsy in our selection of heroes. There have been Crusades, and crusades, fomented [wrongly] in the name of gentle Jesus. Another one is re-writing the US constitution as I write.
Not only do you enter a VERY well written poem, but you educate at the same time. I attempt to do the same at times. Thanks for the chance to read this example of how to do it within the context of great poetry. It's straight to my faves for you!
Peace, Rob -
Thank you, ea. One never knows if the poem is right for the contest holder. I have simply let the contest inspire me and then I write.
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wow... the painting is an interesting way to bring this story out. I like the way these two art forms have combined here.
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I too wondered, but I put it through word spellcheck and allpoetry spellcheck. It does look rather wierd, does it not?
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not to sound redundant, but WOW...you have retold grandmothers story very well...if I may...should "soulless" be written as soul-less or soul less? I don't know, may just be me, but 2 ll's seem not to fit...not to worry it doesn't distract from the clarity and voice of the writer
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Oh, good, it did allow for something I have not orchestrated. Only the title would, in retrospect give it my own meaning. thank you for your consideration.
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Let me reitterate the previous commenters WOW. This is an especially touching piece. I like the form you used too. It is a story directly from the eyes of the experiencer that allows us to get behind their eyes and take in the picture. Very well done
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Wow this is really unusual and great how the picture got you to remember this. I really like the picture because it can mean so many different things to many different people and I like the take you have taken on this.
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1 - 24 of 24
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