Pine Ridge, September 1975 (Wednesday Writing Essentials)

Oh my God, Atticus. Bury me at wounded knee, for I cannot stand the pain invoked by your most incredible poem. I don't mean to gush, but my God, man.

Please write a tome to publish.

Featured in the The Triple Name Club

Thank you Kathryn. I appreciate your kind praise and the feature in your group.

One of the most incredible poems I have read anywhere in a looong time...

A strong poem full of anger and brave intelligence. It speaks out elequently and passionately.

Additionally, thanks for posting to The Poet's Circle.

Thank you Jason and congrats on being a moderator for The Poet's Circle

Wow.  I second Kathryn and Jason.  This is an honest, open, powerful poem that lays to rest all doubts of where your eyes are focused.  Eloquent, spare and beautiful.  Thank you from me and I would guess everyone else who reads this poem.

Hi Stirling, Thanks so much for reading my poem and for your kind assessment.

Atticus, all I can think/feel is your poem is very passionate. I agree.

Hey Chana, Thanks for reading.

This would be a powerful poem even without knowing the story behind it. And the references within it, the language, the names... they come together in so compelling a manner that I can't imagine anyone who doesn't know the story wouldn't want to learn about it.

Was it Sitting Bull or Crazy Horse who was known for saying "Hokehe!"?

Corinna, Thank you so very much. You are correct. It was Crazy Horse who is best know for this, encouraging the warriors to yell it out as they engaged in battle. But I believe, and I'm no expert, that this was a common Sioux war cry.

A breathless one with edges so sharp that I am bleeding. The heat of anger and matured restrained emotion is amazing.

Poddar, thank you so much for you kind words.

Excellent work.  As good as any I"ve seen

Thanks John, I really appreciate the visit and the comments.

Fantastic poem, and it led me to look him up and learn, so thank you for that too.

Hi Sheila, thank you so much. It is a tragic story on many sides.

Incredible!  And totally unforced use of the prompts!

Much appreciated John. Thank you indeed for the generous praise.

Yes. to second JOHN, totally UNFORCED use of Susan's great prompts....

Thank you again Kathryn.

Atticus:

The Lakota provide the blueprint for invasion and conquest. Their plight is the plight of all the First Nations, even those people whose names have been forgotten and their suffering only smoke.

You've heard the drum. The beat is the same for all the First Nations. Thank you. They saw the city on the hill and they burned it down. Reconciliations require remembrance.

I think Enchanted Horse works but the sting is gone for the romantics.

I could have heard these words at the meetings of my folks.

Thank you

Hello Umar, Yes, it is a tale retold time and time again across the land. We must honor both the memory and the smoke from memory's fire. You'll please pardon me, I had to refresh my memory of the history of your people to catch your reference to the burning down of Mikasuki by Andrew Jackson before the first Seminole War. Thanks for the generous comments on my poem.

=(  heart breaks~

Una's father was a Lakhota~he was a young man when the FBI were shot at the Jumping Bulls in June of '75~he rembered everything through an alcohol haze in his later years~  =(

A life desecrated will do that to you~

The poetic here is a heart wrenching one especially as it dives into the fact that Leonard will never see freedom~they won't ever release him~they all know that

Thank you so much Purr, for your perceptive and sentient comments.

Thank you for posting to GutterGirls~

I was blown away by the greatness of this poem.

Thanks for posting to my group, Anythingwriting

Thank you Angela. I appreciate it very much.

Strong and compelling work - I very much like the way the parallel structure works for you here - it allows that last line to crash down on the reader -

There are so many pieces in this to praise - the greasy grass - bayonets and bad tranlators ---- but this one "bury the heart of justice in South Dakota snow" is tremendously effective and I believe really sets the stage for the final sun dance at the end.

Hey Nathan. Thanks so much for coming by. I appreciate the read and the comments.

Earlier today, I read Sheila's piece about Bobby Sands, and mentioned that I could not think of any reason why someone would do that to themselves over a cause. Reading this, I now understand. It has the fire and anger to stir the passion of any living soul. Remarkable.

I didn't understand it all, so I did some research. Found out I know even less than I thought. I don't know the whole story behind Mr. Peltier, but I did read that he was badly mistreated in prison. That was, and might still be, wrong. Whether he truly killed the two FBI agents or not, that others have been killed in the past, does not change the present. Even millions of wrongs do not make a right. Some of my ancestors were murdered, too, for land. This does not give me the right to kill their decendents, or even be angry with their descendents.

I do hope, however, our current President will review the case and ALL the evidence. We can't change the past, but he can fix the present, if it needs to be fixed.

Hi Lynn

With all due respect to your generous comment, my poem does not condone or advocate the killing of anyone. The intent of my poem was not to specifically or solely address the guilt or innocence of Leonard Peltier, although I do have an opinion. But even more, I sought to look at the broader context of this tragic event in the ongoing plight of the Native American peoples. If you want to visit a third world country complete with third world diseases and third world poverty, there are many reservations here in the U.S. that would serve. I have seen this; many live it. In the seventies it was much worse. My poem could have spoken about the Pine Ridge "Reign of Terror" that was perpetrated on the Lakota after the occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973 by among others, the FBI and local authorities from 1973 to 1975 and the host of unsolved, even uninvestigated murders from that time. It could be said that there was a little war going on that never really made it to the national press. There are only a handful of events concerning the rich and brutal history of Native Americans in the U.S that have really made it into the consciousness of the nation. My poem seeks to look at some of the failed approaches the Indians have taken to define their place in what for them was, and in many respects still is, the new America. One trouble they faced has always been that the United States did not want them in any shape or form. The Indians have suffered as much or more than any group in the land for their rights and have encountered as much or more resistance too. This poem is about that. 

It did, very much, invoke a passion. The kind of passion that makes me want to do something - the passion that filled my youthful self, but hasn't for a long time. And, as I said above, I didn't know, so had to search a bit, only to learn I really didn't know much. Your kind, and still very passionate response, makes me pause.

I hate to over use the word "really," but need it now - I really, really don't know much. You're right. While the press did cover Bobby Sands often, back then, (and those were the days of my passionate youth), it was extremely flimsy on any news of the Indians. I barely remember Wounded Knee's events of that time, and thought it was a minor "uprising." In my research, I found a page full of the history of the ongoing fight (from the creator's version) with "goons."

Would you direct me to places online where I could learn more, please? (I see an article or more in that question.) I am quite serious about your poem invoking a passion in me - just don't know if I can do anything about it given my age, ethnical background and geographical location.

Hi Lynn, sorry I have been really busy the last few days. I'm no expert. I'd have to do some research to refamiliarize myself with the details. Even the Web falls short on the history involved. Mostly this poem comes from memory of the events and the reading I'd done some time ago. Responding to the prompts brought this to mind. A.I.M. is still petitioning on Leonard's behalf though, as are many others.

Pure, strong writing, Atticus.  I can't add much to the above praise, but I quite enjoyed this.

Thnak you very much James. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Atticus, I wanted you to know I've read this poem several times.  I'm not up to commenting with constructive critique at the moment.  This one's a biggie.  For me, it's similar to the Bobby Sands piece.  It takes on the mantle of social commentary and isn't shy.

I'll be back (said with promise, not threat).

Thanks Susan, your further comments and thoughts would be appreciated. I know that you are a busy woman though. Thank you for your comments on this poem and revisiting it as you have done. Much appreciation.

A stunning verse skillfully penning the poignancy of injustice with regard to the 1975 Pine Ridge Shootout. Your verse: "But don't speak of a city on the hill//until you bury the heart of justice//in South Dakota snow."... tugs at the heartstrings, and reminds us of the evidentiary commands/demands of law severely lacking in Peltier's case.

Thank you so much for reading my poem Autumn. I appreciate your comments.

Ah, bury my heart at Wounded Knee.

Hi Magi, Thanks so very much for your visit. Your comments and thoughts are gratefully welcomed.

My pleasure.