Like Vacant and Empty forms, giving birth to world, brother and sister, stretched and shaking. Like Greedy Raven scab fed, descending Sky Walker’s sparks, delivering us a gift of sunshine. Like Great Turtle supporting us, on his venerable shell, providing a rest upon the deep. Like brave Beaver winding through river, stealing guarded fire from huddled pines, makes them unmovable. Like crafty cunning Coyote fixing north, south, east, west, from rainbow poles placed in order. Like the soaring Eagle who flies upon burning wings, singing our prayers’ joy in spirit. This is what I’m thinking, all of these things, a beautiful people, forever in spirit.
Giuseppe Gillespie – August 2021
*** Notes ***
Stanzas decrement from 5 to 1 word.
Originally inspired by the Havasupai Medicine Song‘s form.
The first five stanzas are based on separate Native American myths from many different groups (Luiseño, Tsimshian, Seneca, Achomawi + Wishram, Nez Perce).
1: Based on the creation story from the Californian Luiseño people. Luiseño Creation and Origin of the World
2: Based on creation story from the Tsimshian of the Northwest Coast. Tsimshian Creation and Raven
3: Based on the story of Old Woman’s Fall from the Seneca of the North East. Here
4: Based on the story of Beaver and the Pines from the Nez Perce of the Plateau.
5: This is a slight mixture of the ‘Coyote and the Salmon’ myth from the Wishram Plateau people, where a crafty Coyote frees salmon from a beaver dam, and the creation myth from the Californian Arochmawi where Coyote Man fixed North, South, East, and West using poles made from the rainbow.
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Giuseppe Gillespie Writing 