A Lakota Voice

A poem

“Wilderness Sage” painted by the talented Laird Goulet, permission granted (see artist details below)

A Lakota voice rises
from a sigh
a tone new to my ear
a Lakota voice, a Sioux
a Plains, a Dakota rise over the drum.
The skin of the elk, the buffalo, the deer
taut, yet giving rhythm
the skin still
keeping pace with the living.

As the Lakota voice falls
catches the wind —
it begins to roll as the wind —
rolling syllables
strongly moving brittle winter branches
invisibly
invisible sound through the trees
as the Lakota sings.

The sound of water
deep and roaring
the voice of the Dakota
earthy
unknown to untrained ears
yet familiar
reflecting nature
rumbling.

Then sharply
like a burst of migratory plumage
the sounds of Young Grey Horse
startling
as thousands of birds
that soar, together through the night,
descend onto plentiful feeding grounds
overwhelming
landing in a…