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Native
Psalms |
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Native
Psalms |
Nest of the
Thunderbeings
Their nests are of the dreams of
man
they are the creatures that fly closest to
God
from the sky they echo the dual nature of man
they hear the songs of the earth
her tears and her joy
they hear the songs of
man
his tears and his joy
medicine people
know of them
the tremors of their presence in
song and ceremony
from the fires of many circles the visions of our dreaming
hearts
climb to the nest of the
thunderbeings
Howard Schroeder copyright
1998
v i s i o n m o u n t a i n
without a vision the people
perish
how will I find mine?
who will I be to my
people?
where will I walk in life's circle?
upon the mountain I thirst for a dream
I hunger for a
vision
struggle, get past what the body wants
pain but mind is sharp
I
am lower than the ground
looking up at the ants
even they walk with
purpose
hummingbird circles me
body is quiet heart is
flying
I circle the mountain
like a floating stream
blue eagle splits
the sky
and my prayers fly through
day, night and twilight
morning star explains the
view
coming down from the mountain
my heart is imprinted with
a view
my mind with a purpose
my path with a meaning
Howard Schroeder, © 1998, 1987
S o n g s f r o
m T u r t
l e L o d
g e
Close to the
earth
ancient rythm in the
soil
that we're formed from
Offering songs to the father of all
spirits
In the turtle
lodge
our hearts go out to the four
winds
offering our breadth of
song
to all the kingdoms that walk
complete
for we are not
complete
we must
ask we must pray to find
our way
Drumbeat guides our
heart
water on hissing stones cleanse our
minds
honest words cleanse our
hearts
Our songs and prayer
interwine
dancing in the marriage of fire and
water
We become aware of our spirit
bodies
that sing in the presence of our
Creator
Howard Schroeder, © 1998, 1986
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After the fall and dispersion of the great Cahokia Empire
there arose the mighty tribes of the Illini.
Legend had it that the
great Temple Mound City of
the Cahokia fell into disentigration when the
temple priests invited ruin upon their
society by abandoning the
spiritual community of their city-state in a quest for
power and knowledge.
They turned to the water spirit of the Piasa which
inhabited the mighty
waters of the Mississippi and gave it wings through their
greed and diregard
of the natural order clearly revealed by their prophets.
Upon the demise and eventual abandonment of the great Mound
City,
the Piasa retreated to the bluffs high above the Mississippi River
where it made
it's dwelling in a cave. Many a hunter and warrior had pursued
it only to end
up lining its nest with their bones.
The fierce and powerful bird could not
destroy, and
would not even approach the villages of the Illini tribes
because their
communities were closely bound and sacred. The bird could
only pick out
lone individuals unaware.
A great chief for his people, Oatago, grew
concerned about its presence among
his people and determined to fast and pray
for revelation. His vision quest yielded
the knowledge and discernment that
the Piasa was indeed stealth and artful in spreading
fear and
dissention among the communities of the Illini. Oatogo consulted the
Elders
and the spiritually wise on how to defeat this adversary of his
people. Once again
he fasted and prayed. Revealed to him in his dream was a
vision of twenty
arrows piercing the darkness and striking a blood red
moon in the center.
Upon meditation and the
scrutiny of the Councel it was revealed
that it would take twenty
warriors who excelled in strength of character,
faith and skill.
These men would haveto act as one heart,
one mind, and one spirit
to overcome the Piasa. Every tribe would be
searched and contests held to
reveal the candidates.
Oatago lead his
warriors to the nest of the Piasa and placed them in concealment.
Every mans
strength was now as one. Oatago stood in full view to attract the Piasa
who
preyed easily upon individuals. However Oatago stood there with his feet
planted
firmly on the ground knowing twenty hearts stood in his macassins.
The Piasa's shadow
soon fell upon the rocks and Oatago chanted his death
song.
Great Spirit whose breath I carry, make our twenty hearts brave and
my people
strong in spirit. I offer my breath back to you so that my people
may live.
The Piasa did not discern that twenty warriors were
concealed below, for they
were of one heart, one mind & one spirit. And
so the fierce bird monster sought
to add Oatago to its throne of bones.
Darting suddendly from its glaring glide
it descended upon
Oatago.
Scarcely had the Piasa
reached its prey when every warrior released his arrow in unison
striking
the bird under its wing, directly piercing its heart like a blood red
moon.
The Piasa uttered a fearsome shriek as it struck the ledge and tumbled
into the river.
It was swallowed by the Mississippi and not a single bone was
ever recovered.
The Illini painted its image upon the bluff as a reminder
that they must continue to
stand as one and pursue the strength of character,
faith and skill that their warriors
had demonstrated to keep the Piasa from
ever emerging from the shifting channels
of the great Mississippi.
In 1673 French explorers Louis Jolliet and Father Marquette a
Jesuit priest
encountered the painting of the Piasa and noted how disturbing
the
depiction of the dragon-like creature
was.
Howard Schroeder copyright
1998
River
Meets the Sea
This painting is dreamlike in it's youthful approach to catching
he essence of a summertime ecstacy . . .
When I was only known as a
second heartbeat
waiting to join an ocean of souls
dreaming of an emerald forest
birthing a river thst finally finds the sea
Our deepest dreams are
vernal pools
seeping towards trickling creeks
spilling into flourishing streams
joining rivers
greater rivers merging flowing mass
moving onto the mouth of the sea
Kneeling at the ocean's
edge
splashing salty water upon my face
scooping up sparkling diamonds
and tossing them into the sun
glistening sea turtles circle
calling the rivers home
the confluence of many streams
celebrated arrival
Howard Schroeder, © 1987
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