" I am leaving this gray, Carlisle shroud!"
She refused to wear the feathers of a crow,
Refused to pluck her eagles wings,
To become less of the human being that she is.
Walking out into sun cast meadows,
Flowers dripping,
A free woman's perfume.
"If I were to be a white woman,
The great father would have made me so!"
"I am Indian, Native American,I am Squaw to no man, Ever!
She came to the end of the walk,
Unable to speak any further,
Mind racing at the thoughts, the changes, the pain inflicted on her people.
O, that the great dances, the great songs will be sung again!
At the lodges and fires burning high into native skies!
That our young will never forget the tree that bore them,
The river that washed them,
And the wilds that fed them!
" O, Carlisle! why do you place this spear in our hearts?
Why must we be made to walk as the turtle, when we are the Elk, the fox,
and the Buffalo?"
There soiled, blood stained hands, she refused to grasp,
back turned,
she walks, runs, and tries to forget,
The Gray shroud of Carlisle
A contest entry
- Walking Away - One Day Contest by CarolDesjarlais.
525 points, ended April 17, 2007, 8 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 9 of 9
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Wisdom talking outloud in this piece.Very powerful message in your poem..I love it
Amarige
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Nice work..like a story/poem...emotional with good imaginery...well done, I enjoyed reading this..thanks for sharing
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I LIKED THIS POEM
THE MADEN WITH ALL OF HER PROBLENS, TIES TO GET AWAY FROM HER PROBLEMS AND KNOWS THEY WILL ALWAYS BE THERE -
Powerful, heartfelt words expressed with direct affirmations of pride as well as sadness in the freedoms stolen. This is an excellent and moving piece. Blessings. Debby
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Beautifully written an excellent progression of the poem and the most awesome end. An amazing piece of writing, congratulations.
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How the generations of wounds are passed down fromthsoe residential schools, no one would know but for livving in our communities and seeing the evidence of it still alive and well there. I am so proud to see the native voices on this site...it is time we gather our courage and speak out as best we can..perhaps, one day, others willa ctually udnerstand things such as the Carlisle curse.
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Thank you for Silver
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Full of feeling and emotion. I like the proudness shown and the spirit of the woman who wants to shed the gray shrouds around her soul, around who she is.
I liked this.
Good luck.
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A powerful piece here, it portrays the emotions and the patriotism for a people so scorned by white society when in fact we could have learned so much on how to live in peace with nature. I loved it.
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