brown bug crawls across rainbow girl’s face but she doesn’t care
she holds the sacred plant in her hands and faces east
leads the people on the rainbow way
hagoneh
thank you
it is good
sweets come wrapped in velvet
but the goodies are gone
a red ribbon for your hand
time is that way
leaves you behind in a velvet blouse
looking at silver hairs in the mirror
the young ones call you shimasani
grandmother
the ancient one
the one who talks for all
the powerful one
mother of the world
there is a joker spying from a waning moon
coyote grins
he knows the light will come again
spread its milky feathers on the rocks and mesas
rainbow girl bows into the wind
her earrings dangle turquoise like teardrops for her people and their ways
the future is a blue glass bottle
break it if you will
or unstop it and let the teardrops catch there
to drink when rains forget they love the sky
and brown bugs no longer crawl across paintings in the sand
Navajo sand painting
Thank you, Marya. Your comments are always adornments to my work. xo
This is such strong, terracotta writing, Donna. Myth-making words & what consolingly wise words at the end. Thank you for such beauty.
Donna, I think this is so incredibly beautiful. I love your writing.
Thank you, Phibby. You are generous, as always, and your reaction thrills me.