In This Dream...

In this dream which I cannot forget I am
back in time with my ancestors standing
on the shore of my homeland
my second born by my side
To the north I see the sailed ships landing
the tall ships come to our Land of Craggy Mountains
to change our destiny...our road...forever
"Look" I say to my son that is all I can speak
for inside...my heart is sinking remembering
premonitions told by the old ones of those
who would come one day to spill our blood
upon our sacred land into our healing sea.
As I wake there are tears of sadness and fear
for I know what follows...the lifemare
just beginning for my people
I have heard it claimed by those who know nothing
that we saw them as gods these men who came trampling
through our seas onto our home into our mountains
swords in hand accompanied by dogs
sacred deities of our foreparents
guardians of our afterlife used against us
to tear...our flesh...into submission
My people hand carvers of dugouts which carried
a hundred of us across the sea
to trade to visit to share with our relatives
willinging gave the strange ones
respect and hospitality due no...not gods...
but builders of ships of billowing sails
recognizing the time the knowledge needed
to build vessels of wood large enough to carry
hundreds of strangers scores of strangers
come far away searching for gold killing for gold
precious gift from the earth sacred charge of the creator
I had often wondered on their lust for this ore
which...perhaps..even they did not understand
why it drove them to plunder
why it pushed them to massacre
why it made them insane
till they had it in hand stole the earth which held it
Then one day while reading their book of creation
in front of my eyes unbelieving that four letter word
rolling spewing from its pages over and over
words of desire obsessed with gold addicted to gold
telling them to search to search
above all for the gold of this earth
Their book of direction instructing them
possess at any cost that which is not yours
drive out at all cost those who are not you
destroy their sacred objects and hallowed places
As I read more and more the words giving them
dominion to subdue...all..on..earth
as I learn of their crafts fallen on our sacred caretaker
crazy thoughts begin to form did it power their ships
stranded on our blessed home
did they need the gold for their journey back
then forgetting their reason while burying their memory
did they lose themselves in the search
become jealous wanderers
looking for a forgotten purpose
searching for any home...