Several Guest poems in the troubador suite

                                                   FACES

                                              Faces like raindrops
                                        Leave streaks as they pass us by
                                              And never last that long

MAGIC CIRCLE

Each night moon chased the sun’s shadow
When the land grew tired and needed to rest
Our people lived in tepees and moved around
We lived with wind the flowers the grasses
That fed the buffalo, our food shelter
Under the sun the stars the land grew well
Sun always came back wiped away winter
Life was good and went on forever
Wasichu came killed the buffalo
For tongue and hide left the rest to rot
The magic circle was broken
Now Wasichu makes holes in the sky
That will send us all to the spirit land
When we become spirits earth will rest
Hole in the sky will mend Indians come back
Buffalo will return to the prairie
Magic circle begins again

J. Glenn Evans

MY GRANDFATHER SPOKE

When I was young my grandfather spoke
Told me things I did not understand
We sat cross-legged and faced each other
Under a blackjack oak tree out in the field
Day was warm and sunny under blue sky
Red bird in the tree chirped its song
Grasshoppers and butterflies flew about
As we sat there my grandfather said to me
My son I am old, I will not be long
The earth cries for our wisdom
Most of the bear are now no more
No Buffalo roam free
Fox and Wolf have no place to go
These things were many when I was young
My grandfathers were unwise men
They welcomed invaders as friends and gods
When they came to know this was foolish
They fought and argued among themselves
The enemy grew stronger and we grew weaker
Many died from white man’s sickness
Now too late to fight we are beaten
We are few and they are many
Bear and Buffalo are gone

Fox and Wolf have no place to go
I hear the earth cry for our wisdom
Time will come when no one can live
You must learn to lead these people my son
Away from their foolish ways that destroy
There must be room for all life
The bear the wolf and the people
Their big buildings cars and their gold
Will mean nothing when the earth dies
You must show them the way my son
Love and protect this place that is our home
Now that the years have passed since my grandfather spoke
I know what he was trying to tell me
Maybe it’s too late only the foolish rule
They cannot hear my grandfather’s voice
I hear the earth cry for our wisdom my son
J. Glenn Evans

THE PICTURES

I see the pictures
Iraqi people mourn their dead

I see the pictures
America people mourn their war dead

I see the pictures
Our leaders strut the world stage, mock the U.N.

I see the pictures
The arrogance our leaders display

I see the pictures
Helpless prisoners in our charge who are being tortured

I ask myself why no public outrage
At these war crimes committed in our names