Sandra Haight Poet Rhyme

Notes About The Poem

True Story...

"Newburgh, NY, is located on the west shore of the Hudson River on the lands of the Waoranek peoples, described by the Europeans who first encountered them as a close-knit, loving, and peaceable group. The Waoranek was part of the Lenape tribe of the Algonquin nation. Around them, in the bay, were other related bands also part of the greater Lenape-Algonquin peoples."

Haunted Spirits

They once lived here on Hudson River shores;
Lenape Indians of long ago.
Beneath our home, an underworld with scores
of spirits, that perhaps, still here abide.
An arrowhead was found and brought inside,
and, from that day, they've wandered to and fro.

For years we've seen the shadows down our hall
and darting figures rushing past each door.
A fan that starts to whirl, and that's not all-
lamps light and dim at will in random rooms.
To know that they once lived here, one assumes
their spirits are entrenched forevermore.

No harm has come to us, just puzzling, though,
in never knowing why this came to be,
except that tribes once lived here long ago;
their roaming spirits making sure that they
impress us with each unexplained display;
they lost their land- yet spirits still run free.

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Daniel Henry Rodgers March 27, 2024 at 7:36 AM Dear Sara, I loved how you captivated me with your haunting portrayal of unseen forces lingering from the past. It's the indigenous peoples' enduring presence and their connection to the land. Your poetic words evoke a sense of mystery and reverence, urging us to reflect on history's lingering echoes. - Blessings, Daniel