Sees the Ravens

[Bianca Alabaster]

She was born
during the time
of freezing
when the Lakota people
were prepared for
a hard winter.

Her grandmother
had used the old stone
to grind the grain
to make flat bread.

When her mother
bore the baby girl
her sister opened
the tipi flap
to let in light
they saw the ravens
near the stone
eating the grain.

Her mother named
her “Sees the Ravens”
her cry was loud
and pierced the air
the ravens looked up
from their scratching.

She was the delight
of her people
and gifted.
Her smile was like
the sun
and she loved
everyone
even the old
and bitter ones.

The ravens
knew her heart beat
from the start,
she knew their
crooning and
warning ways
that helped her people.

She had a special way
with other animals too
and became a powerful
mystic and Raven Dancer.

To her - she was just
a happy girl who
loved to dance
with the ravens,
amused by their
funny walk
- neck bob
always laughing
in love with their
blue-black feathers
and wisdom eyes.

©12/31/09

[srijantje]

my first read of the day,thank you

[billy]

She was born
during the time
of freezing
when the Lakota people
were prepared for
a hard winter.

Her grandmother
had used the old stone
to grind the grain
to make flat bread.

When her mother
bore the baby girl
her sister opened (the baby's sister or mother's sister?)
the tipi flap
to let in light
they saw the ravens
near the stone
eating the grain.

Her mother named
her “Sees the Ravens”
her cry was loud
and pierced the air
the ravens looked up
from their scratching.

She was the delight
of her people
and gifted.
Her smile was like
the sun
and she loved
everyone
even the old
and bitter ones.

The ravens
knew her heart beat
from the start,
she knew their
crooning and
warning ways
that helped her people.

She had a special way
with other animals too
and became a powerful
mystic and Raven Dancer. (would as the work better than and)

To her - she was just (is her herself, or mother etc.)
a happy girl who
loved to dance
with the ravens,
amused by their
funny walk
- neck bob
always laughing
in love with their
blue-black feathers
and wisdom eyes.

©12/31/09

the picture is perfect for the poem

just pointed out two little points that made me falter a little.

the first verse drags the above picture into it.
and helps us feel a lot of what the poem says.

verse four (my fave ) helps me stay inside the poem
and the feeling of nature it has.

thanks for the read Bianca.

[Bianca Alabaster]

Appreciate your input. In verse 3 it is the baby's sister. I like your suggestion with "mystic as the Raven Dancer" i'll think about that. [In the tribal culture of the Pacific Northwest a woman would never be allowed to be The Raven Dancer, but when I saw the picture I made her so. I met the real Raven Dancer for our region he is a native Tlinget named Gene Tagabon - also an accomplished flutist
[youtube]IUxpbmCVhFA[/youtube]
Glad you liked the poem everyone.

[billy]

we have a youtube code which allows you to show a youtube vid Bianca


if this is the code;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUxpbmCVhFA
then just copy and past the part which comes after the = sign, which in this case is;

IUxpbmCVhFA; between

{youtube}IUxpbmCVhFA{/youtube}
making sure you substitute [ ] for { }

just watched one with the flute music. i loved it.

[Bianca Alabaster]

Thanks for the help, this video doesn't do the real performance justice, it's great to see him in a theatre, here he was performing in short at a school. So, next time I'll use the u tube code. Thanks. Glad u liked the flute music. i sure love it and i play one, but just for my meditation and not for public. He is awesome and a great storyteller.

[srijantje]

thanks for that Mimi

[addy]

You've got a beautiful poem here

[Bianca Alabaster]

thanks addy very much,