Indian prayer by a young student
of Red Cloud school, South Dakota

God's Garden

Lord make me your forest
filled with strong healthy trees
to give a home to the birds
in the winter time

Let me be long green grass
to feed the animals

Let me be a stream of fresh water
so all creatures can drink
and let me be cooling shade to refresh
the earth in the heat of summer

by Tanya Clifford

~~~^~~~

Manifestations of ancient episodes
flashing in my brain, times when the
Arapaho roamed the land freely
along with the Buffalo, and their
dances brought on the rain...

Times when clear flowing streams
were more than just dreams, and
beasts and humans respected each
others domain...

Times when the land gave naturally
what it was meant to give, and man
lived unpretencious as he was born
to live the air so clear it was deeply
inhaled the grass so green looked
unreal...

Manifestations of ancient episodes
when Zuni and Navajo used belief in
the spirits to heal, simple times when
simple methods and deeds were
enough to fill the peoples needs...

Though these times we can cherish,
change and progress are innate, and
cannot be made to wait, or man
stagnates. At least we can look back
and say "wasn't it great"!

etw