Our Time to Dance

* This piece is dedicated to all the beautiful, strong Anishinabegkwewag who were separated from their children and in many cases permanently forced to give up their rights to parent their children and to the vision that they will someday get hold, kiss and dance with their grandbabies and great-grandbabies.

Nin kokum

You stand there so beautiful

embracing life as a commitment to future

Your vision seen through my eyes

Nin kokum

You stand there so innocent

yet familiar with the agony to follow

The theft of life felt radiates through my bones

Nin kokum

You stand there so strong

grounded in our gifts

Your spirit is my belief

Nin kokum

You stand there so resilient

ancestral wounds are your relational intelligence

Your blood carries code

And your tears interpret

Nin kokum

You stand there prepared

You can see behind and beyond

the veil of violence

the rope the wraps

rapes

rob

my/your

future/past

Nin kokum

I know you can see me

I exist only as a promise

your extension

your prayer

sustained through ceremony

fed by faith

We have always lost lives and lived loss

Nin kokum

I stand here now

carrying our future/past

loving

reclaiming our stolen

tearing at the tight threads of lying order

un binding

un learning

un becoming

Nin kokum

because of your life

because you stood

so beautiful

so strong

Nin kokum

Now is our time to dance