Not in Vain

I heard my coyote’s howl

A long haunting wail

Crying out, as my pony and I

Began along daybreak’s trail

 

I easily caught sight of him

As he called from a distant plateau

Then quickly, he ran down to follow

Keeping pace wherever I’d go

 

We crossed the talking creek’s water

Passing over each smoothed rock

One more part of Mother Earth

Where I would often stop to talk

 

I confessed that I would have to kill

Another part of life on the plain

Then I would dance to the spirits

That there wouldn’t be any shame

 

It was a Doe would be taken

Perhaps another time, a Buffalo

As we followed an old game tail

Coyote’s howl let them each know

 

On this hunt, on my fleet pony

It was the Doe that came first to me

And when she had given herself to me

I gave her spirit thanks, while on my knee

 

Round the fire I danced more thanks

For all that she would provide

And the Coyote would howl for all to hear

That it wasn’t in vain she had died

 

Reviews

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Dave… our Life is not in Vain… we howl at the Moon and share . softly, Pat

[Dave Brown]

if our cloudy days and nights every stop leaving us from being soaking wet I will be more than happy to howl at a beautiful full moon
is there a plateau where we can get together and howl

[John the Baptist]

Excellent rhyming, Dave. Sounds like something that might be spoken by a Cheyenne or Lakota hunter.

[Dave Brown]

thanks John
Yes, I am into my western themes which is probably the subject matter I enjoy the most
when we were young kids, running through the woods, playing cowboys and Indians, I always wanted to be an Indian, which was a bit difficult because many of my young friends were Indian!!

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

Amazing beautiful wild write
This is one of your bestest

[Dave Brown]

Thankyou Julie
I wonder if his father was in the navy
One never knows do one??

[Julie McCarthy (juliespenhere)]

Lol ok.
Maybe

[Marvin Thomas Cox-Flynn..]

Dave,

Relevant truth of Sage's Wisdom — as knowledge attained and, thus, well applied — is revealed within your beautifully expressed lines and words set to pen of page just above, in death yielding life in repetitively essential redundance of that true to Life's Reality (i.e.: Life's a B***h & S**t Happens) of existence within all Existence that is but a reoccurring cycle of recycling raw materials that never cease their existence as raw materials transformed by death into an altered state that, often, appears and becomes nothing at all similar as to that we thought we knew initially as given reality. For even Stars die, cease being stars, and become something altogether different: The Cycle of Life & Death, as per my article posted here on WC, titled, Violence — Not Love — Is The Overwhelmingly Predominant Force At Work Within Our Universe — https://www.writerscafe.org/writing/mtcflynndegraham/2820604/

As you know, I am not into Religion and, thus, am not into the concept of Mother Earth worship or reverence. And, I am not into spirituality's seeking, recognition, and confession of spirits, souls, essences of creatures that once lived but now live no more, because death has separated them from that reality which we perceive as the here and now of continuance of living our lives in aspiration's truest of efforts of surviving for all that is within us for as long as we possibly can, though, one day, death shall befall us, one and all alike.

And yet, in all open-minded-fairness of at the same time, if one should theoretically surmise the reality that old Sol our Sun (as a Class G Star) radiates forth light and warmth as varieties of photons that could be considered as Life-Generation-Creation's sustaining seeds lavished upon planet Earth, for without the Sun's light Earth would have remained a metaphorical unfertilized egg men call a planet and third rock from the Sun — then could it not also be stated and said that the Earth (metaphorically fertilized by the Sun's seeding rays of light) has given birth to all forms of Life upon this planet, a Mothering planet sustained by the Sun's warmth and light, as well as existence regulated (Birth, Life, & Death) by that very Cycle of Life & Death that does, inexplicably, exist and operate within every known confine of our known Universe of existence within all Existence as we currently think to comprehend to know it?

Life is truly a precious commodity, for even Stars die and, in respect to the ancient gods of mythology, even the gods die, as per my poem, For Even The Gods Die: https://www.writerscafe.org/writing/mtcflynndegraham/2819464/ ...

Hence, the ancient custom of men giving thanks to the spirits of people and animals whom they have killed in order to assure their own, individual, survival is simply that of recognition of the all too surreal reality that all Life is a precious commodity, and thus never something to be taken lightly; never something to snuff out without good reason; never something to waste; never something to take for granted, in view of the reality that sure and certain death is coming for us all, from the smallest of living creatures upon planet Earth, to all men as Man's Humanity, and even our own Sol, our Sun, is no exception to this seemingly immutable Law (The Cycle of Life & Death) mysteriously and inexplicably governing our Universe. One day, our Sun, too, shall die, and, unless we have moved on to inhabit other worlds in other Star systems, we shall die along with our Sun.

All the above said, ancient native Americans possessed wisdom that simply transcends all which we modern day men of the modern day technological and scientific world refer to as knowledge.

A very inspiring and thought provoking and contemplative read, Dave. Excellent Poetry, as always!

Marve

[Dave Brown]

An in depth commentary that I will have to frame and mount
It is too bad that early Americans didn't consider how very precious life was prior to slaughtering 5 million buffalo in app. 5 years, as one method to help bring natives to their knees.
Very appreciative of your comment and hope all goes well
Cold here with winter a comin

[carl]

Beautiful words and images well said and felt - carl

[Dave Brown]

Thankyou Carl
I appreciate your taking the time to visit
Have a good day

[Stu. T.H.]

A hunting culture, quite a rare sight to see on this site with so much diversity. Yet pleasantly I was hook to the tale it was telling, and to read this, the experience is quite enchanting. I do not hunt, nor I have chased ever after any preys, but while I was back in the Eastern globe, I find the cultures they have there quite similar to this one to some degrees, and to read this work reminds me of my past experience in Asia. Quite a resonating and cultured work, author Dave Brown.

[Dave Brown]

This leans mostly toward the N. American native when they were a hunting society
Thankyou for your visit Leon

[Stu. T.H.]

You are most welcomed, author Dave Brown. Your work was wonderous.