Dog Soldier Lodge Affirmed Poem by Terence George Craddock (Spectral Images and Images Of Light)

We believed in love, freedom, nobility;
to spiritual depths of our souls.
We believed in spiritual sacredness;
of our vibrant untamed land.
We rode our mustangs like wind tossed rolling thunder;
drumming within across prairie storm front;
as we rode wild free ranging prairie wind;
sweeping across an untamed unshod land.

We were so proud to live; as robust hunter-warriors;
to walk stand tall; sharing tribal life spirit.
So proud to live! So proud to die!

We fought frightened forked tongued white devil;
with every honourable fibre of our sacred being;
as they swept like vermin; despoiling stealing violating;
great beauty of a spiritual primeval land.
As Dog Soldier Warriors; of entrusted sacred lodge;
we died as we lived; with respect spiritual nobility.
I remember drums beating beating beating....
as my tribe cast my sacred spirit free.

I remember ritual tribal drums beating;
as my people cast my shaman spirit free;
vanquishing suppressed pain of weeping wounds;
which had battle pierced bled profusely;
sustained in mesmeric dance of necessitated battle;
when trampled buffalo hide tepee; of venerated Great Spirit;
within my warrior hardened body; invincible in combat;
finally fell undefeated; before an ignoble enemy.

Defend ancestral hunting grounds; wearer of eagle feathered;
war bonnet; strike with medicine power; of eagle descending....
on prey; protect shaman warrior; brave deeds in battle worthy;
first to touch living fallen enemy in battle; in front of fighting.... notched decorated feathers tell your deeds; designate swift killing;
telling your fierce individual stories; scalping capturing....
enemy’s weapons shield proudly worn; how thunder on horseback
or foot; attacking fear you struck into veteran civil war enemies....

What remained of a once proud people; hostilities long bled;
cast my shaman spirit free; cleansing ceremony completing;
to roam restoring; releasing vitality; warrior leading retaliatory strikes;
be free in spiritual hunting ground; of earned nomadic nobility.
Until foretold time; descendant tribe; would seek; must seek;
wisdom of spirit world; to guide survivors in spiritual perpetuity.
Then search in sacred ritual circle ceremony; tribal knowledge proving;
for tribal lore; for primeval knowledge; for new found spirituality.

Guarded for time swept tribe; for time of great need;
by a shaman; by a newborn past ancestor; of awe inspiring ability.
We worshipped; in peace in war; wisdom of Great Spirit.
We worshipped life. We worshipped our land. In perpetuity.


Copyright © Terence George Craddock