Penalized Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

Penalized

In archives, the writings
Speak of prairies,
And tepees, and hunting.

I can see, and picture,
The Whiteman's crouching!

See pounds of Poundmaker
And arrows of hunters…

See Natives, kind, simple,
Receiving the lost guests!

The hosts lose their ground
To guest with snake-tongue!

Buffalo and beaver,
Wilderness, freedom,
And the geese, local birds,
Vanish and, are replaced
With cattle within fence!

A cow is worth, valued
More than man's livelihood!

Look at the Almighty
Being an example…

Men are jailed,
And tortured,
Then, bullets,
And cannons…

Settlers, government,
Shed blood for cattle!

The corpses on corpses
And the furs are loaded
On the board of vessels
To Paris and London,
And tepees get darker…

What remains is insult:
"Savages, squaws! "

Bear become fog in sun,
Buffalo are long gone,
Birds never dare to nest,
In fear, are restless,
No freedom, water!

The agents set borders,
Sell the land, private!

Whites' power is in gun,
And gun has cruel law!

Now, court of Vancouver
Penalized some woman
For feeding grizzly,
Against the law, order!

Zuzana is sentenced.
With the highest penance,
For buying some apples,
And the eggs, and carrots,
Intending to feed bears.

Judges are tumors,
And shame are officers
To follow European
Love of cage, and border!

So heard the reporters:
"The money is spent
To feed wild habitats."

The claim is in fact
Defending enactment,
Or the rights of people!

Hypocrites, always lie,
And cheat the charlatans.
So, we know the result!