The Feathered Heart

Ten Thousand Thousand Bones

• so Ten Thousand Thousand Bones for Joe Schranz From long away, from behind museum doors, from darkly dusty rooms, I hear Grandmother rattling, she rattles, among ten thousand thousand bones, I hear Grandmother rattling, she rattles. She is frightened, alone, among ten thousand thousand bones, taken from warm belly Earth, hot heart of Earth, that was her resting home, crying, cold shaking on the shelf, alone, rattling, among ten thousand thousand bones. • • • We wait for you Grandmother, here in the wood, where you belong. The deer are stamping circles, scratching at the ground, leaning their ears to listen for your song, but you are gone. The branches of the trees all ache for you, with their roots below that once cradled you, bending, reaching to hear your song, but you are gone. The river moans your mlssmg VOice, the grass and stone are silent as they mourn and listen listen. The wings of hawks call out your name and wonder wonder where you've gone, answered only by your rattling, from where you shiver, cold, alone, among ten thousand thousand bones. • • • Grandmother, do not forgive them, they know what they have done, taken you from sacred circle light and left you in their tomb, among all those other bones. 51 • • S2 Fools, they refuse to hear the anguish in the Earth, the cry of fox and rabbit in your home. Fools, they refuse to fear the angry step of Spirit Horse, whose hoof shall make a rattling in their own living bones. • • • We wait for you Grandmother, here in the wood, where it's been so long. The deer are scratching circles, stamping at the ground, leaning their ears to listen for your song. The branches of the trees all ache for you, with their roots below that once cradled you, reaching, bending to hear your song. The river moans your mIssmg vOlce, the grass and stone are silent as they mourn and listen listen. The wings of hawks call out your name and wonder wonder where you've gone, answered only by your rattling, from where you shiver, cold alone, among ten thousand thousand bones. Grandmother, do not forgive them, they know what they have done. From an idea by Kathleen Presnell. Dedicatedto the Old One taken from the Earth nearNew Lenox, Illinois in the winter of1993-94, andto the men and women who stood in herhonor. 53 • ...