An Old Man Goes to Battle Winter

Aggressive geese bark predatory excitement.

Heavy wings hector the sun down to southern skies

where it fades to cold yellow.

Winter comes early and stays on the land, among the people.

Snow falls silently as the white owl flies to hunt.

Earth white and cold.

Winter stays beyond its time.

The people are cold and hungry.

An old man picks up his spear and his knife.

He speaks to the people.

He says, “Death from winter always fertilizes soil of the earth for spring

and feeds cold-killed carrion to survivors, but now, winter will not yield the land,

dying from deep cold.

Life force of the people smolders weakly in unrelenting cold, cold, cold.

Our food dwindles.

Hunters cannot feed the people.

The oldest and youngest flee to the spirit world.

I go now to battle winter.

I will drive winter from the land.

I walk into battle. Ask Spirit, ask the force of life

why earth, sun, summer moon

haven’t strength to reclaim the seasons

to drive winter back into cold depth of the universe,

to black sky above the earth.

We have lost the rituals

that show the earth, the seasons, the elements,

that show the force of life our reverence,

our gratitude for everything of life

that gives us life, that shares this universe with us.

We give the earth no rest, no reverence.

We carry fire into every part of existence and deny night.

We dig and wound the earth.

We cut down trees and do not care for their lives,

for the history of life force they show us.

We have lost our clear way of walking in spirit

and winter claims our souls.

I walk away now to battle winter.”

He walked away. Falling snow

swallowed him.

Old man with ancient spear and sharp knife claimed victory

in fierce battle with death of cold

falling snow, frozen life

for soon, the old woman healer spoke,

“Water ran beneath snow all night.

I listened to the song of running water

through the long night.”

Buds grew on the willows along the stream.

Leaves opened to returning sun

and deer, elk, coyotes ran freely

where snow melted away and grass began to green.

Birds sang and flew through sunshine.

Some of us speak.

“Remember the old man who drove winter from the land.

He will not be here to battle again.

He fought and died to give us one more cycle of seasons

to remember reverence, to remember the earth,

the seasons, the elements,

to show the force of life our gratitude for everything of life

that gives us life, that shares this universe with us.”

We who speak wonder if they heard the old man

if they listen to us now.

They seek more for themselves.

They wound the earth.

They carry fire into every night,

seeking more.

Winter will return from black cold sky

above the earth.