The Great Drum

I was searching around for mythology books today and stumbled upon an article by Hartley Alexander from 1922 titled "American Indian Myth Poems" and I was struck by a few of the poems, enjoy!


THE GREAT DRUM

The circle of the Earth is the head of a great drum;
With the day, it moves upward -- booming;
With the night, it moves downward -- booming;
The day and the night are its song.

I am very small, as I dance upon the drum-head;
I am like a particle of dust, as I dance upon the drum-head;
Above me in the sky is the shining ball of the drumstick.

I dance upward with the day;
I dance downward with the night;
Some day I shall dance afar into space like a particle of dust.

Who is the Drummer who beats upon the earth-drum?
Who is the Drummer who makes me to dance his song?

--


THE ORIGIN OF DEATH

IN the Day ere Man came,
In the Morning of Life,
They came together
The Father, the Mother,
Debating.

"Forever they shall live,
"Our Children,
"When they are born Men,
"Forever they shall live,"
Said the Father,
Said the Mother.

But the little Bird cried,
Ah, the little Bird cried:
"How shall I nest me --
"How shall I nest me
"In their warm graves
"If men live forever?"

--

It has inspired me to return to a poem I've been planning to work on for a while.