[Stylist] a poem for Native American Heritage month

[Shawn Jacobson]

Ann
I enjoyed this poem.  I think I would have had a greater appreciation of it had I more knowledge of Navajo culture; but it was a nice poem nontheless.

Shawn Jacobson
sdj60259 at aol.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Ann Chiappetta via Stylist <stylist at nfbnet.org>
To: 'Writers' Division Mailing List' <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Ann Chiappetta <anniecms64 at gmail.com>
Sent: Mon, Nov 14, 2022 3:13 pm
Subject: [Stylist] a poem for Native American Heritage month

<!--#yiv9507535834 filtered {}#yiv9507535834 filtered {}#yiv9507535834 p.yiv9507535834MsoNormal, #yiv9507535834 li.yiv9507535834MsoNormal, #yiv9507535834 div.yiv9507535834MsoNormal {margin:0in;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri", sans-serif;}#yiv9507535834 span.yiv9507535834EmailStyle17 {font-family:"Calibri", sans-serif;color:windowtext;}#yiv9507535834 .yiv9507535834MsoChpDefault {font-family:"Calibri", sans-serif;}#yiv9507535834 filtered {}#yiv9507535834 div.yiv9507535834WordSection1 {}-->Navajo MountainNorla Chee            If you close your eyesand take a deep breathyou can hear the green sage sing  The gray stones beneath youfeel young againThe breeze watchesit all with her Mona Lisa smile  Naatsis’áán takes it all in  The thunder of a hundred hooves,whoops and hollers of the crowd,the intensity of the ridersas in the day of wild warriors on the warpath.  There are chicken pulls, children’s foot races,Navajo cake, kneel-down bread, drum songs  K’é shakes the roots of the mountain,which gives the people her blessing  as does Sun Godwith gentle warm breath.  The story I heardwas that the peoplereturned from Hwéeldiand found strangers in their home.  Ashiih Litso just a boy, risked everythingon one horse raceand was blessed by the Holy People.  Another story goes that the mountain protected the people,keeping soldiers awayand they never had to make the Long Walk.  Whichever story you live by,the mountain remembers.Eehaniih celebrates her,head of the earth.  Copyright © 2022 by Norla Chee. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on November 14, 2022, by the Academy of American Poets.  Norla CheeNorla Chee is a Navajo and Oneida poet. The author of Cedar Smoke on Abalone Mountain (UCLA American Indian Studies Center, 2001), she lives in White Rock, New Mexico.  Ann M. Chiappetta, M.S.Making Meaningful ConnectionsThrough Media 914.393.6605 USAAnniecms64 at gmail.comAll things Annie: www.annchiappetta.com   _______________________________________________
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