Lame Deer's Vision (re-post)
High atop the mountain
a boy crouched in the vision pit – waiting.
Clouds of willow bark smoke
raised from his red stone pipe -
drifting skyward toward his ancestors.
Naked beneath his star blanket
he wept a man’s cry –
crying for a vision to come to him
that his people might live!
Chanting with eyes fast shut he waited and prayed.
First came the cries of the wind,
then the whisper of trees.
Birds swooped and circled about him.
He shook his rattle crying,
“Tunkashila, grandfather spirit, help me.”
A voice spoke in the call of a bird,
“Your sacrifice will make you
Wikasa Wakan, medicine man.
We are the winged ones
and we are your brothers.”
In a swirling cloud his great, grandfather
came down and spoke-
blood dripping from the hole
where a cavalry bullet had found his chest,
“You will take my name, Tahka Ushte, Lame Deer.”
The new man on the mountain rejoiced.
Quietly entering the vision pit,
kind Old Chest placed a hand on Lame Deer’s shoulder,
“Four days have passed, it is time”
and led Tahka Ushte down to the valley.
June, 2006
Revised, January 8, 2012
This poem and the vision upon which it is written is the foundation of a tone poem for orchestra that was performed by the Belleville Philharmonic Orchestra on March 3, 2012
Full of passion, imagery, vision and beauty - an emotive piece that has the mind and heart dipping and soaring with each verse... perfect. :)
An inspiring vision indeed and one in which the orchestration will no doubt excel - - the best of good wishes for a very successful performance of this wistfully atmospheric and passionate tone poem Robert. Thank you too for the interesting and informative re-postwhich makes such an engaging read.
An amazing poem...