The heart of Crazy Horse
Lies throbbing in a box
That was not long enough.
So they cut him in half,
And on a pony drag delivered him
To somewhere just this side of Pepper Creek.
No one knows the precise spot,
They say. They say,
Wherever it is,
That place must now be covered
High with prarie brome
Whose roots reach down,
They say,
To catch the throbbing
Of the heart of Crazy Horse,
To send the drumtap
Up and out and over
All the earth:
It does not matter where this body lies,
For it is grass:
But where this spirit is, there
It will be good for all of us to be.
By: Bill Kloefkorn
I have discovered something about this poem that moves me nearly to tears. The last lines of the poem were spoken by Black Elk as he is relayed the story of Crazy Horse's death to John G. Neihardt for the book, Black Elk Speaks. I have been fascinated with Crazy Horse since I was a child. I distinctly remember at a very young age, walking into my elementary school's library and picking up a biography of Crazy Horse. I brought it up to the checkout counter, where the other students were lined up with Goosebumps and Nancy Drew. Mrs. Pierce looked at me and said, "Are you sure this is what you want?" I insisted it was, and walked out with my prize. The history of the plains has been my passion ever since. This poem moves me in a way that I cannot describe. It is beautiful, haunting, and inspiring.
ReplyDeleteThe Fallen Leader
ReplyDeleteLeader of the Ogallala Lakota
Never to be forgotten
When times required fighting
Blood is blood, but to this day
Yours was the one that paid
Why it had to be, I cannot comprehend.
If we knew then, what we know now, would it be any different?
Why it had to be, I cannot comprehend.
Fallen warrior of the Ogallala Lakota
Never to be forgotten
A monumental man changed history
Now a monument changes sacred ground
Because of the blood you paid
Why it had to be, I cannot comprehend.
If we knew then, what we know now, would it be any different?
Why it had to be, I cannot comprehend.
Leader of the Ogallala Lakota
Never to be forgotten
Both sides entered the fray
Destruction to people, livelihoods, life
Endures to this day
Why it has to be, I cannot comprehend.
Did we know then? Why isn’t it different?
Why it has to be, I cannot comprehend.
I was inspired by the rhythm of Crazy Horse's heartbeat.
ReplyDeleteThe rhythm of America
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The rhythm of America
Isn't hoofbeats and drums
The rhythm of America
Is the housewife
Baking an apple pie
Chopping kneading scoring
The rhythm of America
Isn’t guns and bugles
The rhythm of America
Is knickknackpaddywhack
On the playground
Clapping running playing
The rhythm of America
Is the band at halftime
The players on the field
The farmer’s combine
The carhorns and mayhem
Working singing living
The rhythm of America
Is every face from every race
Hand in hand from place to place
Knowing that freedom isn’t free
But treasuring the moments
When peace reigns.
Sharing loving caring hugging
That’s the rhythm of America.