Look into the Circle
Look into the circle, do you see what I can see?
Our children and our future, dancing just for me.
Their Steps might not be graceful, but they move in total bliss,
I look up to the Creator, and thank him for all this.

Look into the circle, can you see what I can see,
Our children, and our past, dancing just for me.

I see my ancestor's footsteps, moving to the beat.
Yes, I see this very plainly in our children's little feet.

The Heartbeat of the drum travles around this once great land.
It moves from town to town, in the feet of this little band.

Look into the circle, Please guide them along the way,
Our children are the future; they inherit this some day.

I see the Little Mohawks, the Cheyenne and the Siou,
Dancing side by side, the way the creator meant them to.

So, look into the circle, and see what I see, too,
Our children, and our future, Dancing just for you.

Copyright (c) 2001 Marty "Little Crow" Sheeler

Beauty
A sea beauty lies beneath me as I soar upwards.
A sea of beauty is in front of me as I soar upwards.
Green and Brown beneath blue and white above.
A sea of beauty which is life.
A wisp of smoke rising upwards,
Voices calling and called rising upwards.
From the sea of beauty beneath me
Into the sea of beauty above me
From temporal to eternal life.

The bird of beauty looks downward.
The spirit of the beauty looks downward.
Man, who lives in the beauty looks upward
and sees perfection.

Then he who lived in beauty looks into the sea;
Then he who sang in beauty looks into the sea
Then he who spoke in beauty looks into the sea
And he sees nothing.

Oh man, who was of the beauty. What did you do?
Oh man, who sang in the beauty. What did you do?
Oh man, who spoke in the beauty. What did you do?
Bird of the beauty, can you give me comfort?
Spirit of the beauty, can you give me comfort?
This smoke which is of the beauty calls to you.

I hear the man of the beauty calling me.
I see the smoke of the beauty seeking me out.
I see worthiness from the beauty coming forth.

I will return Man to the beauty.
I will return in the song to the beauty.
I will return the Wisp to the beauty.

You must keep the beauty now or I will not soar.
You must keep the beauty now or I will not hear.
You must keep the beauty now or I will not see.

Keep the beauty alight with the flames of history.
Keep the beauty singing with the songs of the past.
Keep the beauty speaking with desires of the future.

Then the beauty will be forever yours!

Riverbird Woman,
Turtle Clan, Lenape
1996

Wounded Knee
ODE TO WOUNDED KNEE
It is silent tonight, the moon is red
filled with the blood of the dead.
The innocents are gone, the heart beats not
The Soul is not filled with dread.

The Soul flies high, on Eagle's wings
The Hawk is screeching its song.
The field below is a bloody view
For the buzzards to feed on our own.

But we are not gone, our song still sings
In the mouths of the People left.
And as long as that song sings loud a clear
The Hoop will not be bereft.

Doris RiverBird Woman
Turtle Clan
Eastern Lenape Nation