The basement cell where Geronimo was sometimes kept
Had an uneven floor, said to be caused by his constant pacing.
I too pace the walls inside my mind, for it seems to be holding me
Though sometimes I can escape it, through imagination.
There are large boulders and remnants of pottery
Scattered throughout many places, proof of others,
Whose prisons were diverse times; long ago settlements,
Of names now forgotten or scarcely mentioned anymore.
The people were always less durable than soil or stone:
They flowed like liquid from area to area, seeking water, buffalo, prosperity.
Children were their true riches, and longevity their blessing;
If you didn't die in childbirth, you might live a long time.
I feel their artifacts all around me, half-buried in clay and sand;
Many years are like only a moment, to a planet one-sixth the age
Of the total universe. But the past haunts me, watching as it does,
From the eyes of all their children, still walking this earth.
I love the feel of this, Patti. You evoke a sense of the age of things, places and memories. There is a wonderful poem about the Indian Names living on in our land by Lydia Huntley Sigourney (1791 - 1865) . You reminded me of it. It is also part of a wonderful album by Natalie Merchant called Leave your Sleep. Look it up if you haven't heard it, it's beautiful.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Very good and intriguing; reminds me of some of the ancient western Indian lore that I so enjoy.