Ceremony In These Times (For Black Elk) - Poem

Ceremony In These Times

(For Black Elk)

Blessed.

Blissed.

Ceremony kissed.

Dancing in the sun with my siblings in the midst

Of Spirit.

Did you hear it?

Could you hear your name

That beloved, timeless flame

Being called by those

Who we can just suppose

Went before

Made a door

Danced and pled

Pierced and bled

Prayers through dimming ether

Watching the Tree wither

Hoping

Crying

Pleading

That one day

People would notice

(As their souls in pools looked skyward)

And would pause

And light sacred fires

And suffer for those that could not see

And serve those that would not hear

That the Tree would spring to Life again

That it would once again

Lodge the birds

Take nourishment from the Earth

Prayers of all colors

Waving in the equinox breeze

Pointing mankind’s weary eyes towards

Tungashila’s endless skies…

--Aspen Eric Marley

August 2014