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A long time ago . . .
A clown . . .
A dog . . .
Told me:

Dance one step ahead of insanity
one step behind tradition
one step to the right of mythology
one step to the left of reality

I then asked, wondering . . .

Should I run among the long houses
on the shores of ne-ah-ga te-car-ne-o-di? Or should I beg from the people on the great hill?

Dancing down
the slippery strands
of coiled
double-helix
will lead
me where?

Will the flint
strike the fire
while the
wolf howls
in the night?

. . . chant . . . chant . . . chant . .


The price is great
when the thunderbirds call
to re-enact a dream

The honor is great
the song of heyokah
born of shame

The honor is great
the dance of heyokah
born of shame


The shame is great
the song of heyokah
born of honor

The shame is great
the dance of heyokah
born of honor


The clown
the dog
then asked me:

What . . . Do you really think you are alone?
Did you really think we left you?
So many years ago
In a different place and time
On the shores of Michigami
Skunk Place
Where the wild onions grew

Don’t you remember?
We seen . . . not one, not two, not three, but four . . .
Yes FOUR of them come in and tie you down, one on each corner . . .
We seen . . .
We thought . . .
We should play a little joke
wreck a little havoc
What if we untie her . . .
Just a little bit . . . for a time . . .
Not like the horseman
Who came thundering across the plains
. . .Mongols . . .
So tell us now
Did you really think we left you
Alone

~Copyright Valerie Ciolek~