History Repeats In Dakota Territory
In my early teens (late 60's)
I remember it all
began
in my mind
Dad was driving us into
downtown Minneapolis
for church I think,
up ahead, a block or so,
the bob-lights on top of
2 cop cars was twirlin'
and speakers were loopin'
that open-sore noise
then it went silent
but what caught our eyes
was, the 2 cops were standing
over a Native American sleeping
against a wall,
they picked him up,
all limp arms and legs
and chucked him into the
open trunk of their squad
car like they were swinging
gunnysacks of taters
dad was the first to say
something as we passed
by when the light changed
"the Indians got it rough
here in town, jimmy,
gotta
help 'im when
you can, son"
50 yrs ago...
little has changed,
Dakota Oil injustice,
now near me puppet
heads
allowing pipelines
to disgrace sacred
Treaty Lands.
People gonna rise-up
again, and get water-blasted
off their feet & stuck with
them stingin' dam electric
stun-frizzle wires
like we were some
kinda human chimera
that needs to be
extinguished.
dads been gone 12 yrs
now
"gotta help 'im
when you
can, son"
...gotta
help 'im
when
I can
July '18
Minneapolis
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