GHOST DANCE

Mary Lee posted yet another amazing video. I can't get it to load here so go there and take a look.

Feel like I should say just a little about where this poem came from. Think it’s really kind of a found poem. After I saw Mary Lee’s post yesterday morning, and read her fabulous poem (Really want to know how she says SOOO MUCH in so few words), I went to Wikipedia to read about Ghost Dances. That article connected me to an article about the Wokova, the Medicine Man who introduced the Ghost Dance to his people.

The article was pretty long. Sometimes when I want to read a Wikipedia article, I will copy it and paste it into a Word document. That’s what I did with this one, and then I just started cutting out words I didn’t want. At the same time, I went and watched Laura Purdie Salas’ video. She’s talking about a new technique every day. Yesterday was repeating lines.  I decided to try to work that into my poem as well.

I had a super full day yesterday, and didn’t get back to the poem until after ten last night. I have committed to write a poem a day for the month (which may kill me) and I really want to see if I can pull it off. Finished this one at 11:45.

“Ghost Dance”

And God said to

Wovoka

you must tell your people

work hard,

love each other,

live in peace 
with your white brother.

And God gave Wovoka

the Ghost Dance

dance dance dance

dance for peace

dance for love

dance for unity

dance dance dance

But the white brother

Does not know this dance

Of peace and love and unity

White brother confines

Wovoka’s people

to land

too hot and dry to farm

sends Wovoka's children 

away to learn

white brother's  rules

Ache in the belly deep

Ache in the heart still deeper.

dance dance dance

dance for peace

dance for love

dance for unity

dance dance dance

Wovoka’s people dance.

Whiteman says stop.

Wovoka’s people dance.

White man is afraid

And there is a massacre.

The chief- Sitting Bull.

153 of Wovoka’s people

most women and children

all killed.

            And Wovoka’s people

do not dance

any more.