Native Grief

Twas nothing around me, no place or time Feelings of nothing that felt so sublime As I shaved off my hair so long and fine Grief over the family I had at one time Taken by a White Man's Nation so cruel and unkind Twas nothing around me, no place or time Feelings of nothing that felt so sublime Oh Great One tell me just where am I Beyond all the grief and my Choctaw-Apache pride That voice all at once it came from inside Within ourselves where we all tend to hide Twas nothing around me, no place or time Feelings of nothing that felt so sublime "Oh small One " he spoke in my mind Rise above all that's so cruel and unkind Your hair will grow back, just give it time Note: In my culture when one is grieving over a great loss we shave our heads. The teaching is that however long it takes for your hair to grow back is your graceful period to grieve. All things take time. But once your hair does grow back you must move on with your life or be seen as wallowing and pathetic. Copyright © by Scarlett Anderson