Enemy Way Comes With War

Nataani Nez
dry lands and windblown sand
the river cuts its path through that place
he came from that place
Shiprock, Four Corners some say
when he comes home
we will have an enemy way
it is a part of us Navajo
wind storms and lightning
aches and pains
inside the bones they hide
ghosts some say touching from inside
seeing things that people should not see
coming in the worst way to lay there within
where is he?
the far away place
far from home
way far from Dinetah

what is it like that place
blowing sand
crunching earth
slow days and hot nights
dreaming of cool water
navajo tea
blue corn meal and quiet nights
where is the sage
the mutton stew
in-law chasers
and cool rain

yellow streak mountain
head of the earth
where is the wind way
the high places
red sandstone and pinnacles of Shiprock
they are there far off

eating dust
soldiers food
the enemy hides their face
laying death by the path they must go
young boys, warriors some say
they come with war
restless nights
strange voices and hidden thoughts

where is my son where is my daughter
each morning brings a new dawn
bless this day
corn pollen tah dah deen
corn stalks come with war
a strange day break

when they come home they will visit
their minds and bodies are young
their hearts broken and tired
they are old men in some way
carrying
broken bones and dreary thoughts
hard to smile
so we go to those high places
sacred prayers
the names mean nothing to those outside
navajoland
walking high and low to collect plants
sing a song and leave a little of their heartache there
taking and leaving some small thing
just a piece of earth
a smoke, a taste of roots

come to the second night
sing with my son
sing with my daughter
dance in the place of the their mothers
sing with their fathers
let the bent willow of the drum sound out
gourd rattles make a hollow sound
dance with us till dawn and
restore these
my children to me

restore my son
restore my daughter
so they can say

there is beauty before me
there is beauty behind me
there is beauty to the left of me
there is beauty to the right of me
there is beauty above me
there is beauty below me
let there be beauty all around me

these are the things that come with the enemy way
but there will be no song or dance
no healing prayers
they took him
so far away
so far away
he stood for his people
for those that came before
he did not survive
he did not survive
there will be no enemy way
he has left and gone away
the sound of his voice is gone forever
we will not go to the mountain top
he will not lay his head in the places of his mother
and will not speak quietly with his father
he has gone away
he has gone away
and the sound that comes at night is wailing
a navajo warrior has gone away
a navajo soldier was killed so far away
this night you can hear a mother's cry
in the shadow of Shiprock

rustywire July 7, 2005