I greet my deed

1.
“Happily may fair yellow corn, fair blue corn, fair corn of all kinds, plants of all kinds, jewels of all kinds, to the ends of the earth, come with you
With these before you, happily may they come with you
With these behind, below, above, around you, happily may they come with you
Thus you accomplish your tasks”

American Indian Poetry – an anthology of songs and chants, lines from Night Song.

With my error as guide, I
sieve through plants of all kinds, with

error as my guide, I roast
all kindling as my own – to

the ends of the earth, I toast
my happy loaves – thus I meet

my deed on my way, with error
burning on my eves, I greet my

deed behind, below, around me –
thus I accomplish my tasks

—

2.
are you nourished by the sea of
the child who plays in the dark &
is your belly full?

is your rope too taut for magic
and if it is, where is the wand
to dry each bone?

do you flip each eerie stone &
when you do, does your heart skip
along tiny wishsteps?

—

3.
the cornstalk grew corntales
some were ripe and some were

just thorns      so many thorns
there was no forgiveness

so many thorns, one could only
try and grow more corn      and

this time, some were tall and
some were beginning to sound

repetitious      so the corntales
grew up all handsome and pretty

and did not speak for a very
long time      till one spoke –