From Four Corners, we come home
Turtle Island's Mother Earth
East, South, West and then the North.
We come home in one song,
for the first, it is at last
the time that we all come home.

It was an echo of her longing
I recognized her song
her rhythms, her tongue
for a cycle had ended,
and it needed to be done.

She had spoken in her ripples,
and whispered in her leaves,
laughed and bubbled in brooks and in streams
lapping and splashing she called us in dreams.
It was whistled on the wind to come
from four directions, into one.

She was calling us her people,
and we brought with us our feet,
the drums that know her rhythm,
her grass that smells so sweet.
We smudged the sage and cedar
into fires that smoked a song
that we had come together
from four corners, into one.

The winged ones were first to greet us
in a song of flow and flux.
They knew that we were coming
they soared, and sang, and clucked.
Their slapping, clapping, beat of their wings
feathered our announcement.

The Winds then danced up,
the leaves into a whisper.
Return was the rumor, that hung in the breeze.
Wolf heard this noise and howled it to Bear
then Turtle, Salmon and all clans strong.

Those that lost tradition,
found it discarded in a ditch
put it on their backs, their heads wore it on their lips
shells and furs and those traits
without any words would radiate.

We are connected to this body.
It is there from which we came,
and there we are and have been
until we go back in again.

Now we breath, rest, and swim in her,
we drink, eat and live from her.
Respect came from this Mother
now returned with a bear.

Drums beat her heart feet danced in a pulse,
wind rustled hair life blood rivered falls
moon sliding shining, dying to a day
now and forever people come and stay.

Creator knew this rhythm
heard beating in our hearts
from whispered on a wing ago
long carried in a song I know
fused in fires smudging smoke
we danced into the moon
we knew all of our tomorrows
were coming home to 'coon.

From four corners, we come home
East, South, West and then the North
joining together each one's dance and song
echoed in her longing.

LauraLee K. Harris