Chief Rain Cloud

How proud your gaze, yet I see much sadness there.
The rain you envisioned for those memories you share.
You were born many moons ago, over a century or so,
When the buffalo in herds roamed the plains so long ago.

Your people were happy and free;
They lived in peace off the land.
But soldiers, dressed in blue came to ravage,
Destroy and maim.
They destroyed and killed, in chains you sadly learned,
The treaties were broken;
They spoke with forked tongues they lied.

Those memories were your heartaches,
In the days when you were young.
But they couldn't break your spirit; it soared like a hawk!
In silence you remained proud and true, sadly that was your lot.

In strength and courage you had to accept your life.
They took everything away from you,
Those soldiers with long knives.
In memories that you own,
In thought in the plains that you roamed.
In the wisdom you hold dear of yesteryear,
Yet you cry silent tears.

No longer do you live in fear,
For the reservation that you call home.
Where deer and children roam free,
Yet your sadness lives on.
Because of soldier blue,
Your way of life was destroyed.
White man's greed and pride because you believed their lies.
Your people suffered and died, you ponder and then you cry.
Chief Rain Cloud, you're a symbol of greatness
When peace was everything.
With joy and respect for nature, the world was enriched.

There was a balance and harmony of all things
Till the blue coats brought pain.
Now Indian tears fall like rain,
Chief Rain cloud remembers again.
So many lines on your face, a road map do they trace.
One line for every year you've lived,
A wrinkle for every pain you braved.
To be a proud Chief, now you're gone,
Like a red tailed hawk, you flew away

Sunshine
© 2007 Les, 68225 Winters Road, 29 Palms, CA 92277