that history is an event
that life is
that I am event
ually to go do something
the metaphor for god.
eventuality.
activity.
what happens to be.
what happens to me.
god. history. action.
the Lakota word for it is:
whatmovesmoves.
they don’t call god
“what moves something,”
not “prime mover”
"first mover" or
“who moves everything or nothing;”
not “action.” “lights.” “movement.”
not “where” or “what” or “how”
but
event. GOD
is what happens, is:
movesmoves.
riding a mare
eventuality.
out of the corral into morning
taking her saddled and bridled
air thick with breath movesmoves
horsebreath, mybreath, earthbreath
skybreathing air ing.
breathesbreathes movesmoves
in the cold. winterspringfall.
corral. ing. horse and breath.
air. through the gate moveswe.
lift we the wooden crossbar
movesmoves unlocks movesbreathes
lifebreath of winter soul
swings wide sweet corral gate
happens to be frozenstiff in place
happens to be cold. so I and mare
wear clothes that move in event
of frozen. shaggy hair dressers for the air
breathes breathe we: flows: movesmoves:
god it’s cold.
no other place but movesmoves
horse me gate hinge air bright frost lungs
swing gate out far morning winter rides
movesmovingmoves Lakota words: god.
what we do.
(Harper's Anthology of 20th Century Native American Poetry, 1987)
Note on Taku SkanSkan: http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/pla/sdo/sdo51.htm