1297633  Poems Read Home Login

 ramblings and things

smallstepsmadpotepotriemantheartfulcodgerscogspeaksvolumes
Native America


Great Spirit gave us this land
To live and to roam free,
Buffalo herds stretching
As far as eye could see.
Great vistas of wild beauty
Under endless arcing skies
Stolen from our people by
Violence, deception and lies.

We hunted with reverence,
Planned without haste,
Took just what we needed
Never any waste.
Treated their gift with respect
Which we never abused
Every possible part
Was gratefully used.

Life was good on these plains,
A life we thought would never end
Until the white man came
Who we first accepted as friend.
And they came and came and came
With a cruel and acquisitive greed
Took Brother Buffalo for sport
Not just for their need.

As the herds grew smaller
They treated us as slave
Stole more and more of
The land Great Spirit gave.
Until the final humiliation, herded
The remnants of our Nation
Into poverty and hunger on
What they called the Reservation.

This land is grown smaller
With the cattle and wagon trail
Replaced by super highway
And cross continental rail.
They grow corn and graze cattle now
Where we and the Buffalo would roam
We are a humbled despised remnant
On land Great Spirit gave us as home.









©2000 - 2022, Individual Authors of the Poetry. All rights reserved by authors.

Visit My Home Page | Start Your Own Poetry Site | PoetryPoem

[ Control Panel ]  [ Today's Poetry - ALL Poets ]   [ Search ]