"Moccasin Flat"

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    "Moccasin Flat"

    “Moccasin Flat”
    (a song of the Blackfeet)

    Sad memories fill my mind
    memories of my ancestors

    I see my great grandfather’s grandfather
    a young brave strong and bold
    living free
    moving with the buffalo
    in the days before white men
    taking life as it came
    his spirit clean and pure
    nature’s purity gave life’s beauty
    to the soul of the Blackfeet
    he heard them beating
    LOUD AND FREE
    the drums of harmony
    on Moccasin Flat
    His memories flood my mind
    thoughts of his world
    of what he passed down to his son

    I see my grandfather’s grandfather
    a young brave strong and bold
    living free
    moving with the buffalo
    til white men came
    with whiskey
    living day to day
    his spirit clean and pure
    nature’s beauty gave life’s purity
    to the soul of the Blackfeet
    He also heard them
    strong and proud
    the drums of his people
    on Moccasin Flat
    Their memories fill my mind
    I think of what they knew
    would surely come to pass

    I see my great grandfather
    a young brave strong and bold
    watching freedom die
    with the buffalo
    as whiskey poisoned the soul of his tribe
    living as he was forced to
    his spirit brave
    but no longer pure
    white men’s’ greed took life’s beauty
    from the soul of the Blackfeet
    He surely heard them
    GETTING LOUDER!
    the drums of war
    on Moccasin Flat
    I can’t escape sad memories
    I think of what broke his heart
    as he passed it down to his son

    I see my grandfather
    a young brave strong and bold
    and sad
    the reservation has no freedom
    the buffalo are long dead
    on Moccasin Flat are
    neglected houses, broken homes,
    and twisted souls
    the white mans’ legacy
    living from drink to drink
    spirits blinded by whiskey
    white men’s’ poison almost killed
    the soul of the Blackfeet
    he really heard them
    through tears he heard them
    the children crying
    on Moccasin Flat

    Grandpa’s memories are the hardest ones to take
    I think of what he passed down to my dad

    I see my father
    a young brave strong and bold
    sad memories came to him
    memories of our ancestors
    when Indians were free
    and moving with the buffalo
    of days before the white men
    when spirits were clean and pure
    when nature’s purity gave life’s beauty to the soul of the Blackfeet
    YES!!!!
    He heard them
    as our forebearers heard them
    the drums of life
    on Moccasin Flat

    My Father taught me a lesson
    as I stood there strong and bold
    He said: “Just because the buffalo are gone
    and the Blackfeet have no freedom
    doesn’t mean we must drink
    Just because white mans’ whiskey
    tried to kill the soul of the Blackfeet
    doesn’t mean that we must die
    if our hearts are Blackfoot
    if our souls are Indian
    we can still be free
    if we take life as it comes
    our spirits clean and pure
    if we let nature’s beauty restore life’s purity to the soul of the Blackfeet
    Again we’ll hear them
    in our hearts we’ll hear them
    the drums of PRIDE
    on Moccasin Flat”
    Sad memories give me hope.

    © Sam Hyde
    01-05-87






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    Teardrops commented on "Moccasin Flat"

    05-26-2010

    Oh my God I feel the pain My greatgrand parents were cherokee from the smokies they refused to go the way of the trail of tears . I feel the deep pain in your wonderful , well writtern and truthful poem I loved it . You have a wonderful talent and i hope your pain is bareable today Marie

    cutbanksam

    06/03/2010

    At last, someone finally read this poem. Thank you.

    cutbanksam

    01/05/2011

    Me and a lady named Skymist2 wrote a poem about the trail of tears. I researched the subject before we wrote about it. I will find it and post it.

    Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.

    Robert Frost (1875-1963) American Poet.

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