August 9, 2021

The Messages Bears Bring

Poet Lois Red Elk writes that while bears and people emerged from the same origin dream, it was bruins who came first. Now, to find harmony, we need to be mindful of each other's space

by Lois Red Elk-Reed

"Bears, bears, and more bears," an original painting, 12 x 12, acrylic on board, by Sue Ewald Cedarholm. To see more of her work, inquire at facebook.com/sue.cedarholm

Greetings MoJo friends from this side of big sky country.

Heavy smoke is making it hard to see and inhale. Reminds me of Los Angeles

city smog, where I worked a few decades ago in the movie industry and as a radio talk show host.

Evenings, fortunately, are clear and the stars are incredible.

I've been thinking and dream of bear a lot these days. So appreciative I have culture

to aid me in translating.. In Dakota/Lakota culture, bear is one of the lesser gods or gods below.

As beings, they are the messengers of wisdom, medicine and dreams.

We can ask ourselves, "Do animals dream, how long do they dream, which animal dreams the longest?"

Below is a new poem that will appear in a new anthology.

Be well,

Lois

Bear’s New Dream

by Lois Red Elk

In Bear’s new dream, people are reunited

with their Human side, the kind of walk that

greets all breathing as created by the unknown

Gods of the cosmos. Rivers and woods are

speaking and being understood. The 4-legged,

the flying ones and those that swim and those

that crawl are happy to welcome back the

Human. As Human also awakes to this dream

he is reconnected with his spirit and shadow,

he wonders where he has been. A slow moving

of limbs, eyes reconnecting to trees, plants,

feeling forces of wind and energy long forgotten,

are calling him. He acknowledges all his senses,

remembers his own dream time. Earth as vigilant

feels Human’s hungry shadow and dwindled

spirit and knows there is a new dialogue to be

held between Bear and Human, they have come

from the same dream, they are now in the same

space. Earth reminds them of their order of

creation—when Stone became spirit and gave

its life to Earth and water, when water birthed

the first beings, the animals, then Humans.

Bear cries out loud, remembering his essence.

A memory drops from Human’s mind onto his

tongue, he too cries out in despair for his loss.

Again, Earth hears them drawing close to where

their essence is joining. Earth tells them it is

time to stretch their minds into all the spirits

around them—the plants, water, all breathing

beings, the Earth, stars, thunder and all souls.

After they remember how to do this, come back

to Earth and go out again. Travel deeper into

the spirit of everything. When they are finished

stretching their minds they are to come back to

Earth and tell her what they have learned. In

their new dream Bear and Human can then

share with all humans what they have learned.

©Lois Red Elk

POSTNOTE: We are pleased that Lois is working away on a new collection of poems and will let you know when it is published. In the meantime, ask for her other volumes at your favorite local bookseller: Our Blood Remembers, winner of the best non-fiction award from Woodcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers; Dragonfly Weather; and Why I Return to Makoce with a foreword from Montana's recent state poet laureate Lowell Jaeger and nominated for a High Plains Book Award in poetry. Given headlines that continue to appear about the discoveries of new atrocities committed at boarding schools for indigenous children, we encourage you to read Lois' contribution to MoJo that appeared in June, The Unspeakable Past Of Indian Boarding Schools

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About Lois Red Elk-Reed

Lois Red Elk-Reed is a poet who calls the high plains home. She is Mountain Journal's poet in residence.

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August 9, 2021

The Messages Bears Bring

Poet Lois Red Elk writes that while bears and people emerged from the same origin dream, it was bruins who came first. Now, to find harmony, we need to be mindful of each other's space

Defend Truth &Wild Places

Defend Truth &
Wild Places