What have you seen, Old Man, from your slump
into rocky divide of heaven and earth, province and country?
Tonight, gray horses stir up skydust, in readiness for their runaway
down onto the prairies, through Medicine Hat’s desert
and past your drawn up knees of Sweetgrass hills.
What secrets have you, Sage, to tell us?
Beloved brow of my dear homeland,
how often I watched you in your deep repose,
and wondered at your dreams.
Tell me, Old Chief, what you meant for new generations
to make of your reason for lying in state
for these eons; what stories have formed in your supine
view of that Happier place; that dignity I see from my window,
why pine trees and poplar dance around your deathbed so;
and reasons you crumble.
Once, I traversed your chiseled face, stood at pinnacle
of your pose and saw forever. My mark of all that is sacred
in southern Alberta. Do you remember me; this waif,
who adopted you as grandfather?
I have sung your songs, my songs, Piikani songs
that honor you as you have honored us, by your eternal wait
for us to know, to understand your memorialized meanings.
Oh Father, I beg Creator to hold you, keep you in one piece
of my memory, should you fall. My history is wrapped
around your shoulders, a feather at your heart belongs to me,
I am the woman who did not jump. Help me hold on
to your pride in our piece of Mother Earth, in Southern Alberta,
in this place the new ones call part of Canada, this place,
where your very deathbed reminds us has no borders.
Author notes
http://www.ocbtracker.com/ladypixel/chiefmtn.html
Home...and this is the heart of it that holds me there. We built our home so that Old Chief Mountain was framed in a twenty foot wall of windows.
"Kayas" is a Cree greeting that means, in aprt, "Greetings from a long time ago."
In a list
A contest entry
- Strange Brew by My Nemesis.
1500 points, ended June 9, 2007, 5 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 15 of 15
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I love the Rockies, and every time I visit them I feel at home - the same way I feel about southwestern Ontario. It is not something that can be easily explained, but there is comfortableness about it that goes beyond words. This poem is a beautiful poem about the people who lived here long before we wver showed up. The line 'I am the woman who did not jump' - that line just jumped out at me. This is an awesome poem and I love reading it over and over. The words flow easily, I love the imagery of the poem, I love the places it takes me.
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ty somuch for your comemnts Martach Shine. Yes, theya re to me as well....the kidn of comfort and shelter that comes from being nestled down on their lap.
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I like the thoughts marching into my mind.
My favorite lines:
I have sung your songs, my songs, Piikani songs
that honor you as you have honored us, by your eternal wait
for us to know, to understand your memorialized meanings.
The image used is so beautiful. It matches the revelry revealed in your masterpiece.
Thanks for sharing.
~VIRGOAN~ -
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This is home to me and Old Chief shows up in many of my poems. Ty for your nice comment.
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Very nice picture, would be wonderful to be able to see this out your window every day. Alberta has lovely mountains and prairies - I live here too and wouldn't trade it for any other place - although I love to visit the other provinces too, from east to west coast and up north as well. Wonderful prayer about Canadian province.
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You live in alberta????? Grannyeri, I did not know that. Want to meet for coffee in a few weeks?
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"Oh Father, I beg Creator to hold you, keep you in one piece
of my memory, should you fall. My history is wrapped
around your shoulders, a feather at your heart belongs to me,
I am the woman who did not jump. Help me hold on
to your pride in our piece of Mother Earth, in Southern Alberta,
in this place the new ones call part of Canada, this place,
where your very deathbed reminds us has no borders."
Sighhh...Ahhh, my Sister...Indeed, you ARE the woman who did not jump; you are the Woman that Flew...Brilliant descriptions make me almost feel I am there, watching the mountain through the window, warming by your hearth, drinking chai in comfortable silence with you, my Friend...Good luck in the contest, Sweetie...
Wanda
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Come on, come to the lodge with me, or we can stay in the cabin....we shall drink chai and lsiten to the eagles and the loons... and grandfather.
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Ahhh, how I wish I could...I've always wanted to stay in a cabin...to listen to the soft, sweet quiet language of Nature...
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All I can say is once again THANKYOU!!!! sister.
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ty marc. If you have never been down to Waterton Lakes/Glacier National Park, consider it. It is one of the most peaceful, beautiful, areas of Alberta, to me.
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I spent my childhood staring out a window at Chief, probably just miles from you...a magnificent sight and a magnificent tribute you've written to our homeland.
Growing up in that country, the stories of Old Man and Napi have always held my interest. One only has to ride to the top of Pole Haven, stare off at Chief Mtn and let the winds tell stories to open ears to understand the closeness the Blackfoot had with their world. A closeness lost to most people today.
One small point, I think Pikani should be Piikani, as that is how the Piikani Nation spell it today at Brocket.
An excellent piece, this warmed my soul like the chinook winds warms the winter snows. Very enjoyable.
Rory
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My sons own land and a lodge just by Pole Haven, on Mammee Lake ( sic...I know the lake name was taken from the blackfoot word for fish - mameo?) Ty for seeing I needed that other "i". I knew but my fingers have a mind of their own.
We will be there soon...We will cross the line at Havre on the 30th.
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A Palpable Poem
A stirring remembrance and tribute...
"Once, I traversed your chiseled face, stood at pinnacle
of your pose and saw forever. My mark of all that is sacred
in southern Alberta. Do you remember me; this waif,
who adopted you as grandfather?
I have sung your songs, my songs, Pikani songs
that honor you as you have honored us, by your eternal wait
for us to know, to understand your memorialized meanings."
The energy and soulful feeling of your words,
breathed life into this magnificently penned prose!
I, for sure, felt it.
Praiseworthy penning, M'Dear ~ Nicholas ~
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I am very homesick just now, for that grandfather. We leave in two weeks for our journey across the states and home where he guards the country and the people.
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