The ancestral  Indian way of life and the buffalo are gone. They are forever in the history of this nation.  Living in Oklahoma, amongst the five civilized tribes Indian reservation lands, I think often of how much the Indian nations had to give up because of progress. I hope the Indian nations continue to teach to their young and others the wonderful bond they had with the land and nature.  It would be a shame, in my opinion if that were lost for all time.

Here in Oklahoma the reservation system is much different from other reservations I have seen in Wyoming.  In Oklahoma the Indians were integrated with us white folks and we all live together.   There isn’t a section of land set aside for just the Indian nations to live on that I’ve seen. The plains Indians were placed on reservations for themselves only, and it a totally different kind of place.

I can say that Indian blood from two tribes, the Cherokee and the Choctaw run through my veins along with several other nationalities. What does that make me, an American, just like everyone else.

The Abcedarian form of poetry is one of my favorites to do, because it is so challenging. You use every letter in the alphabet as the first letter in each line. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Ambling over the plains

Beginning and no end

Center of life for a nation

Dying for sport

Ever on the run

Fostering the image of strength

Guarding their young with fierceness

Hovering on extinction

Inflicting pain when confronted

Justice for none

Killed by the thousands

Leaving an emptiness on the plains

Moving together as one unit

Noticing all things around them

Open plains covered by Iron horse tracks

Pushing ever away

Quieting the cries of the old and young

Revelation of the coming end

Starving people in need

Time for change

Ultimate loss of life

Visions of doom

White man’s push for more

Xanadu no more

Yearning for yesteryear

Zeitgeist of long ago