Come Wewoka: A Cherokee Tale

By MedicineFlower - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Poetry

Sunday, November 14, 2004

Rodeo Comes

Rodeo comes And out of moth balls Comes the clown suit - The honored feathers sewn Tokens to old totems - Meaningless to some - Red stained by Unakas blood And the remission of the Carlisle schools, So only at Rodeos do these feathers have meaning. My hawk weeps for me in the homeland. Come... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, November 13, 2004

Injun Sam

Injun Sam, the dealer man Came from lands the Peyote knew, But to the cavalry he bought and sold, Laces and frillies and stuff. But when the Lakota cut at fowl Custer, Old Sam had not been able to convince the men At his neck-tie party That he, a Cherokee was indeed A free and civil man - Far from... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, November 12, 2004

This Shack

This shack belongs to Mrs. O’Brien, Squaw to Unaka Mike’s estate. He died suddenly Stopping a bullet’s speed, And she, bereft of all but this shack, Rewarded a generation of red O’Brien’s With this shack - An Oklahoman spread - Rich in crude. How many red O’Brien’s have sat In judgment in the State... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, November 11, 2004

They Gave old Man Tokorei

The gave old man Tokorei A blanket and a bottle. The bottle made him warmer than the blanket - But they also robbed him of him woman. She would make him warmer still. To Carlisle they sent his children, To make him colder when they came to know him not. But now, this desert sun in Arizona Burns his... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, November 9, 2004

Hear the Wagon Wheels

Hear the wagon wheels that rode Over my new, dust land Tearing all masks away. And they grasp it away in a day, A peace as sparse as the unyielding soil. This is the punishment they mete Because I sat with the men in gray And smoked a pipe of peace one day. Move us again and again and again -... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, November 8, 2004

Hear the Drums

Hear the drums of the Cherokee, Saying tales of peace-come-now In this our new land - A sparse land - But a Cherokee land Without Unakas hungry grip. The drums say Sparse lands are safe lands. Rejoice in the dust of peace - Free of uncivil whites. Come experience The Jade Owl Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, November 7, 2004

From the Place the Sun-King Comes

From the place the Sun-King comes To where his throne will set, Beyond my eye - The heavy still fall beneath Unakas whip. The woodland weeps, The great river sadly flows and calls Telling the hawk, we are gone - Fallen like the leaves in autumn With no hope to ever see Spring. Come experience The... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, November 6, 2004

Dandelions Bloom

Dandelions bloom Where once the daisy fared. Am I forward looking Or am I a back gazer? But, at least, the star remain the same, Only bigger in bigger clearings. Same world Before me time - Behind me memory - And a small tear to tell - Never forget this trail of tears. Come experience The Jade Owl Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, November 4, 2004

Black Funnel

Black funnel cloud Ripping the town from earth - Never before such sorrow - Never before such famine - Bellies swell - The ears never ripen. Heartless plains With singing winds of hatred Our women tear their hair in madness. Now, the Black Funnel cloud comes - And blows our skins away - Not since... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, November 3, 2004

Silhouette

Silhouette against the sky, Not the hawk But the gray warrior - In the saddle wondering Why he must be wandering When happy in his woodland The great Sun made him holy Draped carcass, Different meat against a different sky. Come experience The Jade Owl Sign in to see full entry.

About this Blog

Come Wewoka is a Poetry cycle written by Edward C. Patterson, whose Tsa-la-gi (Cherokee)name is Medicine Flower (Nv-wo-di A-tsi-lv-s-gi). He is the author of several Novels and Novellas, now available at www.dancaster.com/jotrans.htm. Come Wewoka has been a web favorite, having first been published in 1995 at vagranthollow, in the Best Part of Me Collection. This is the first time it is being made available in the blogs.

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