The Last Realization: My River and the Land

My river still retains the name

That was passed down from the Chippewa

Except it is translated into English

With "Bay" which was added later

But the Chippewa gave this river

Its original name in Ojibwe

Only one Poweful word

Because of the sound it made

When they approached rapids

I call this my river

Because part of the riverfront

Belongs to my father

And extended family

I was going to part with my rights

But I changed my heart and mind

Because my father insisted

That it would go to us three

And that even now it was mine

I hope he has many years still

I am getting old

I have only seen it a few times

But the land much more

The Land that for a short time

For 3 years

In the 1800's

The county it is in

Had the same powerful name

One word

Same as the river

After a well known chief

Soon almost 3 months will have passed

Since the sky fell

Which was probably necessary

And yet here I have

Something that I cannot jiust unsee

Something now known forever

And how, with some of the more prominent things

That are known

Does this not seem otherwordly

Beyond real

It will forever be

A very painful reminder

A very cherished thing

Beautiful and heartbreaking

Of things I spoke of

Something I believed to be true

And still believe

That will be a memory of loss and failure

A lesson

Grateful through the hurt

Beauty from ashes

Of song and miracle

Something I will never be able to share

Where I know the story belongs

I pray

I breathe

I will make or purchase the symbol

That the river amd land

Were named after

And I will wear it

I will embrace it

A symbol I learned in my youth

One I loved the story of

I was fascinated with

That until only recently I saw it again

Strange how things come full circle

I hope to be able to return to the river

And the land

I will cry

And I will smile

I will pray

And I will remember someone

And I will sing a ballad or more

Not my own

Because I am grateful to be here

I am not prideful

But this felt like confirmation

After I fell and failed

That God

Still gives signs

And in this case

A symbol

A word

A name

There before I was even born

Land and riverfront passed down

Before everything changed

So many months ago

The river and land now have sacred meaning to me

They are holy

Just like the memory, that I cannot erase

In spite of the end

While I try to begin again