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
Copyright © Scarlett Sepulvado Anderson | Year Posted 2010
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