Lonely Words

Rest Peacefully PaPa Bennie
June 23, 1924-June 9, 2009

Its always nice to step outside
Relax, take a breath, and clear your mind
Yesterday, I took a moment to step aside
I relaxed, took a breath, and did eventually clear my mind

First, I stared across the road passed the newly blossomed lilac trees
Grandma wouldve loved to see them this time of year
They looked like many soldiers guarding her home during a perfect little breeze
My eyes were reminders of how many things we now lack, mainly out of fear

Her home was once a sanctuary, where we all loved to be
Now its just a memory of where Grandma and Uncle used to live
I miss them both so much but they live inside of me
My heart was once angry they had to leave but now allows me to forgive

As my heart began to heal from the hurt of our recent losses
Papa Bennie was called home only 3 short months later
As hard as it is to be strong--in my mind--nothing can top this
The couldves and shouldves layed deep on my heart like a crater

Its hard to act differently than what you actually feel
Ive met that fork in the road you see
I walked and I stepped right on it reminding me thats its all real
Sometimes it hurts and reeks havoc upon me

Then, like a collage of unspoken words and pictures of many reels
The sun peaked out for a second to show me light
Reminding me theyre safe with God and to feel how good their energy feels
This was truly a blessed heavenly sight

I walked a little further, sat and allowed the day to come to an end
I cannot stop time or prevent events, but I can ask for a moment to seize
To hold those moments and find peace and harmony allowing God in as a friend
I always have and I always will-keep my heart full and at ease

Black Elk Speaks

You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything and everything tries to be round.
In the old days all our power came to us from the sacred hoop of the nation and so long as the hoop was unbroken the people flourished.
The flowering tree was the living center of the hoop, and the circle of the four quarters nourished it.
The east gave peace and light, the south gave warmth, the west gave rain and the northwith its cold and mighty wind gave strength and endurance. This knowledge came to us from the outer world with our religion.
Everything the power of the world does is done in a circle.
The sky is round and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball and so are all the stars.
The wind, in its greatest power, whirls.
Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours.
The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle.
The moon does the same and both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were.
The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.
Our teepees were round like the nests of birds, and these were always set in a circle, the nation's hoop, a nest of many nests, where the Great Spirit meant for us to hatch our children.

Black Elk, Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux 1863-1950



Over a hundred years ago Black Elk had a vision of the time when Indian people would heal from the devastating effectsof European migration. In his vision the Sacred Hoop which had been broken, would be mended in seven generations.The children born into this decade will be the seventh generation.