Contest Winners and a Short Farewell

Dear Contestants,

The Past-Lives Contest has been judged and the winners are posted.  As I am preparing to leave for vacation, I will not be able to congratulate everyone individually.  There were some awesome entries and you all deserve applause. 

I will be spending time with my family for several weeks, but I’ll check back in whenever possible.  I’ll have wait my turn for computer time.

There had to be only one first-place winner as I wanted to offer a prize.

It turns out the winning poem was submitted by James Fraser.  James, I’ll need your address to send your prize.

Here’s his winning poem.  It was first on both my list and on my sister’s list.  (We co-judged.)

Arikara Born

by James Fraser

I like many others have lived in our dreams

In this world where I lived amongst forests and streams

Where the Great Plains stretched and our rivers flowed

If you could see through my eyes, how my tribe glowed

Born from my mother of Arikara descent

My father a Sioux warrior, his stature, augment

My growing up was no different than the others around

For the learnings that grew from our ancestors surround

Hunting and fishing, being told of the dangers in life

Cultural indifferences, to fearing tribal strife

But it's what my father taught me every single day

To learn from our lands for through the years they'd display

Tracking, seeking, searching, living from our lands

Every year more learned, growing in understand

From a boy to a man becoming a warrior through my years

Protecting what was ours, allaying modern fears

But the changes that we faced, suffocated our souls

There was only ever one outcome, other man's goals

I like many others, to live and eventually fall

Born from Arikara, Sioux, my name was 'Standing Tall'

Congratulations, James!  Your “prize” will have a Native American theme.

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