Art by Hoppow Norris

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Serpentine River - Summer


Serpentine River
Summer

Touches of a doe’s tongue
At the tail end of a slithering brook
Pools with other thoughts
In emerald eyes that beckon thirsty souls.

In your repose
Casual legs caress the sun,
Splayed toes cool the sand
As you gaze without shame
Upon the emerging boulders.

As sure as the madrone
That leans toward your raised cup
I approach the shimmering threshold,
Pause for a breeze of doubt 
Then join the silky dance
Of your collected dreams. 




Friday, July 20, 2012

Excerpt from NPK


Magda sat at a table by herself in a dark corner of the restaurant nursing a Long Island Iced Tea.  The rest of the crew was out on the dance floor swaying, bobbing, and egging Soja on with yelps and whistles.  When the band paused for a break, Soja leapt from the stage and beamed to Magda from three tables away,  “Did you fuckin’ see that? – that was so much fuckin’fun!”
Without breaking her stare from the back wall of the stage, Magda flatly replied, “Yeah – kinda hard to miss, girl.”           
“Hey you want to kick it for a while – you know, backstage party?”
            “What fuckin’ backstage; you mean their bus?  Soja I don’t know if that’s a good idea – I heard about those dudes.” 
            “C’mon! Shit live a little.”
            “I am livin’ homegirl.  Don’t you think you’re a little drunk for that shit?”
            “I can handle myself.”
            “Yeah – anyway I’m just gonna go home.”
            “Whatever – you still takin’ Jacque – he’s pretty handsome huh?”
            “Yeah – I’ll take him home.  You sure you not coming?”
            “Geez you act like a fuckin’ old maid.”
            “Whatever.  Do your thing.”
            “Fuck you.”

Monday, April 30, 2012

Serpentine River - Spring


Marbled veins of incandescent moon green
Breaking up granite with wandering power.

In the spring
Rejuvenating, like a cold slap from a beautiful woman –
In the false confidence of spring I hear my name called repeatedly
In among the tumbling mountains
And the hum of the budding sun encouraging me from behind,
Thus I’m carried to sway her bank
But find my name in a drowning stick.
If I sang so my throat exploded
It wouldn't pause her gasp of
The thick air of new life. 
So I steal a splash from a passing ripple;
Plenty enough to give me song. 

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Time of Open Doors


As she walks the spit along the river’s mouth
She forgets if she is dreaming-
Or forgets that she’s awake.
In a hemispheric world
They call it schizophrenia.
But in the time of open doors
She became a doctor.  

Monday, February 27, 2012

Stop the Bleeding


love one-another

   Recently there has been a wave of media attention on Indian issues – casinos and blood quantum of course.  Starting with the Cherokee kicking the Freedmen off their roles and more recently the small gaming tribes in California dis-enrolling members based on lineage research and even DNA testing.  It has been sickening how biased the media has been due to their obvious bent against Indian gaming.  It seems like no one has any clue how to even approach these highly complex issues, mostly due to ignorance and laziness when it comes to understanding Indian sovereignty and policy, so they just report the most egregious manifestations of a long history of identity confusion and racism.  As with most “newsworthy” issues, what is debated is mostly irrelevant to the majority of those most affected.  What is telling from these discussions is how little people know about actual Indians, and what they do know is based purely on stereotypes that persist as others are challenged, and that most people still see Indians as a race of people – an ethnicity rather than as hundreds of distinct in-tact identities.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

To: Sey-gep


Dearest Child,
Sending you to the time of Humans is not a punishment.  Your father and I felt it was time you learned some responsibility.  We understand they are a difficult species to work with, what with all their identity confusion and fear of death, but we have high hopes for them just as we do for you.  The Human eye for beauty and their ability to feel compassion is unparalleled, but they have those opposable thumbs which also makes them the most dangerous.  They are going through a tough time where we dropped you off, but explore around a little, maybe you can have more of an impact if you catch them before their cocky adolescent stage, and keep in mind there are subtle differences from territory to territory.  

You may return home when:
  A) You have taught them not to take themselves so seriously
  B) You have taught them to show more respect for their home and each other
  C) You can show some sexual restraint; humans have well developed guidelines for this

Please understand that your father and I are doing this out of love and respect for you.  We know you will do well and you may even enjoy yourself.  Stay away from guns, traps, and interspecies sexual relations and you should be fine.  We will be thinking of you each day,

Love,

Mom and Dad

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The Deal



To some it is a newt pond
To others it is the source from which
All life flows.
We all have a place of origin
Where our beliefs are formed;
A place of power, wisdom, beauty
And spiritual fulfillment.
A place that founds stories
And lights the way;
Gateways to other worlds,
Homes of gods
And figures of gods.
We sing and pray to them
And gather strength from them
And destroy them.
What power has the man
Who destroys another’s god?
The power to throw the world
Into a fevered frenzy.