ultra-white heaven
trees pop beneath winter weight ~
quiet falls heavy
(December Full Moon – Oglala)
In my dream I see my brother
canoeing down the rapids
the moon behind him
blazing a trail
his heart beating
to the rhythm of drums
and the roar of bubbling waters
native blood runs through his veins
AP: 2nd place 2025
(“Tipi Sky”, 2007, original oil)
The older I get and longer I live here
The more I wish I were a native American,
But I was born over seas
And immigrated as a child.
My daughter however was born here
Born towards the end of winter
On the plywood floor of our mountain home,
So she can feel and rightfully say
She has Native Pride.
(11/7/25)
lunar quintessence
brilliant and emboldened glow~
portentous signal
(November Full Moon – Cree and Assiniboine)
Here where the hibiscus and the palm tree sway,
December wears a mask, a sun-baked day.
The air is dense, a solemn, muggy sigh;
No frosty breath to hang the winter sky.
The calendar integrates as the year grows old,
But the earth, a young bride, refuses the cold.
No white covering quells the green-clothed land,
Just ocean rumors on sun-drenched sands.
We seek where the stones stand, as assurance’s strong,
A parable of familiarity where we truly belong.
It should be brimmed with ice, a silent guard,
But the tropical heatwave makes the vigil hard.
The stone stands, a heart, unmovable and true,
Yet the absence of snow paints a sky too blue.
This December is a clock with hands reversed,
A winter’s tale delightfully dispersed.
We are the trees, confused, with leaves so bright,
Awaiting shadows that won’t take their flight.
The island dreams of silence, sharp and deep,
While the warm waves roll, a secret it must keep,
That the soul of winter is not in the flake’s soft fall,
But in the resilience of the stone standing tall.
The sun, a fiery bear, keeps the cold wolf at bay,
In this warm December, the stone still holds its sway.
Today, as always, I am grateful for native nations wisdom…
and how they’ve found a way…
despite our efforts to the contrary…
to bring that wisdom back today…
Hold on to what is good…
even if it is a handful of dirt
Hold on to what you believe…
Even if it is a tree that stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do…
even if it is a long way from here.
Hold on to life…
even if it is easier to let go.
Hold on to my hand…
even if I have gone away from you.
pale fondant frosting
crystalizing web to bush ~
chickadee chitters
(October Full Moon – Ojibwe)
Today’s blessing once again comes from Native Nations wisdom:
When how to live a good life I am trying hard to understand…
I often choose the wisdom of the first people to populate this land
Use your voice for kindness,
your ears for compassion,
your hands for charity,
your mind for truth
and your heart for love.
Today’s blessing is from an Ojibwa prayer…
that goes out to all our human sisters and brothers….
Teach us love,
compassion
and honor
that we may heal the Earth…
and at the same time…heal each other.
Everyone grieves in their own way
that’s a fact not a belief…
Which means there is not date of completion
no timeline for our grief…
To all the thought and prayers
those who’ve suffered a loss might be receiving…
Today I’m grateful to add
this Native American Prayer of grieving:
I give you this one thought to keep
I am with you still…I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not think of me as gone…
I am with you still…in each new dawn.
brightest bulb in sky
colors trees with chill and hue ~
sparks of cold winter
(September Full Moon – Assiniboine)
Today I revisit a blessing…we need to hear it more
perhaps that’s why I’ve used it so many times before
It’s from the Native Nations peoples
who had their share of tragedy, heartache and strife…
and how they understood about one particular circle of life…
I imagine long ago they found the beat…
and discovered it by chance:
Dancing is a way to pray
prayer leads to healing
once we heal we can give
to give is to live
and one way to show we appreciate being alive
is to dance.
Party Animal
I see you
Walking through that door
Standing on two feet
When you should be on four
I see you
Right through your disguise
Every word from your mouth
Nothing more than lies
I see you
Grinning from ear to ear
Won’t be long now
Until fangs and claws appear
I see you
Such a big talker
But you dont fool me
I know you skin walker
Once again I defer today’s blessing to the Native Nations
I hope someday their wisdom will help us understand…
how we are not the total masters…
but only one part of the land
No one owns the water
No one owns the land
No one owns the ocean
No one owns the sand
These are give by our Mother
The Planet provides for free
Only by the hands
of the greedy
does the Earth
require a fee
mauve mountain shadows
creep across verdant valley ~
purple moon rises
(August Full Moon – Tlingit people of the Pacific Northwest)
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