Dancing Bear

your eyes, black diamonds as dark and potent as your soul your skin, the color of your sandstone mesas your hair, a sacred silky, shiny, black mane stranded with blue lapis, white shell, and red corral Navajo princess with your big burning heart full of Native sorrow generation after generation of poverty, degradation and shame, opportunity stolen before your ancestors were born your reservation a waste of stray dogs, alcoholism and dirty water you are the most beautiful woman I know beauty far deeper than your warm terracotta skin I fall into the abysmal depth of your eyes into such strong medicine that in conquering you, I am conquered like Custer's last stand and lowered a realm or two ...a holy healing realm or two where I see all that lies before and after you you are your beautiful people, you are your wasted land and all its shame you are your eyes when I gaze into the glittering dark realm above your eyes are all I see "the brain is wider than the sky" said Emily * but the windows of your soul contain the whole multitude of universes inhabited by every bit of joy and sorrow dark-souled Navajo princess you are more, more than all of them so much more than this world the drums are drumming a sacred beat and Dancing Bear moves the spirit world the bells your feet ring and the feathers your limbs flutter tell the greatest of the great spirits about this hell on earth make the sky listen, make the wind obey make the way even there is no time (and never was) for anyone to escape these words It falls and rises again again and again and again dark-souled Navajo princess knows