“Cowards' Pride”

I was dreaming of a great

Herd of buffalo running fast

Recalling what our Chief had

Just said about trust and lies and

cowardly white eyes

Drowsy with fear I heard

Them come closer

Buffalo have no horns to blow

what am I hearing now?

I grabbed Little Fawn and fled

Invisible we were for I felt

Now my power

So I carried my little sister

Through this murderous hour

we lay in a muddy ditch

my baby sister and me

the noise went on forever

or so it seemed

after a long scary time

we dared look out

seeing such unfathomable

results of violence

savagery carried out by whites

soldiers of evil, of greed

and pain

touting murder as great accomplishments

turning cowardly actions into glory

medals for this, medals for that,

how many children dead for each one?

how many old ones shot in the back?

or cut down by sabers from behind?

we could have gone back to the mud

we could have hidden

and stood by while more villages

were murdered by uniformed bullies

directed by evil, soulless men

commanders, chiefs of the white men

presidents and their greedy lackeys

ordering murder, yet calling it help

we could have hidden from these sick

white men but we didn't,

I now have a mission;

kill them all, although they never stop coming

destroying nature, destroying races

death and destruction their only joy

their happiness, their illness

our deaths,

we struck back,

along with them we killed all we saw

yet, they keep coming, we, now driven to kill

are not as good as white soldiers

we have honor and do not kill by stealth

unless we have to,

where are my many brothers, where are you,

my sisters, I would not need you if you were

still living,

where are we, the disinherited,

the victims of imperialism, condemned by

their very existence, for their land,

those who were

slain by cowards attacking a village,

with few braves and many old and helpless ones

where are you my loved ones,

Father, cut down while riding alone, cut down by a dozen or more

Mother, where are you, they took you away,

Mother, for your death, I kill, for the death of

our nation and many others

we kill!

Great Spirit! Where are you? take care of my family,

take care of my little sister, and take care of my Songsearaya,

take care of all still living, take care of me Oh; Great Spirit

take us away so we may again live in peace

free to enjoy and respect life, hide the white eyes from us

take us home, Spirit Father,

© Sam Hyde

     07-13-11