Family Tree or Comanches and Cars Don't Mix
- Family Tree or Comanches and Cars Don't Mix
Spanish captive, Hoahwah, married twin sisters/The one wife called Doubleturned into a snakeafter eating a nest of glossy eggs.Snake Woman still lives on Mt. Scott,sleeps facing west.The sun a white skull itselfbathes her on the cedar breaks.In rectangular dreamsshe calls the young men grandson.
The other sister Tsy-yee, named after a war deed(her father charged a cavalry officerknocked him off his horse then lanced him to the prairie)bore three children: Tabe titah, Namnetse, and Sam Hoahwah.
Lena, Sam Hoahwah's favorite daughterran off with an Arapaho from Canton.Sam sent his men after heron horseback, their ranch-hand-shadowsovercast the Cheyenne and Arapaho Rez.Lena said: I ain't comin back.She bled to death on a mattress after a miscarriage.
Mother couldn't remember Lenajust the car ride to Post Oak Cemeteryand watching wind in the pinwheels.Mother died the same age, fish-tailinginto Comanche historyin a Chevy Z-28 without car insurance.
Great grandfather Sam Hoahwahfirst Indian in southwest Oklahoma to own a cargot run over with his own Model-T.His Mexican cowboy-chauffeurforgot to take it out of gearwhen Sam crank-started the car.
Not far from his own car, Uncle Fredrickwas found dead in the weeds of Cache Road,keys missing.He sang gospels in Comanche,and backup on Robby Robertson'sContact from the Underworld of Redboy.(Uncle liked Levon Helm better.)
Fredrick Jr. caught ghost sicknessbicycling across Post Oak Cemetery at night.He looked past his shoulderit twisted his face.The moon mocks him now.
After the incident, his girlfriend fellin love with his cousin Rustynicknamed Rabbitwho loves fried baloneyand calls it Indian Steak.
Rabbit's younger brotherpaints abstract horse muralsin empty swimming pools,
and images of a 20 foot long red talking snakewho calls him grandson in his dreams.
Sy Hoahwah is Yappithuka Comanche/Southern Arapahoe. He grew up in Oklahoma and other parts of the Southern Plains. He holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Arkansas and can be reached at syhoahwah@gmail.com.
