Once upon a time, during the zoom and boom days of the 1990's, I wrote a romance novella titled ~ ROPE THE BUFFALO’S RUSHING WIND ~
Now, don’t laugh, if you are, at my title. Hey, this story won first place in one of the RWA chapter contests, the paranormal category, of course. I think it was the Desert Rose, and that happened *way* back in 1999.
Also, the original creators and owners of Hardshell Word Factory ~ hardshell.com ~ loved it and wanted to offer it for sale in 1997. However, one of the owners became ill and sold the fledgling site to the Wolfs, and now I see it’s an imprint of Mundania Press.
To explain the title, it’s an expression used in the alternate world I created. As in... you might as well try and rope the buffalo’s rushing wind.
This love story between Woman Chief Kyote Spring Wind and Caballero Zake Doliz Vyquerrone became cathartic to write because the hero was an homage to a man I fell in love with at sixteen.
I won’t go into the gory-angst details of my teenage suffering. Suffice it to say, he left for California and the lure of Jefferson Airplane shortly after our first and only date. He was eighteen.
More importantly to me, this alternate-world novella is inspired by how I envisioned our world could be today... if only...
My story takes place in a concurrent timeline, within the continental United States and on the Great Plains where the buffalo still roam, both as thundering free herds and also, on immense ranches ‘somewhat’ similar to cattle ranching now...but, organic, of course.
What if, instead of all the wars and the conflicts between the races that have occurred in the past five hundred years ~ those who lived here in North America, and those various races who arrived as explorers and settlers... what if they had joined hands, then joined cultures... what if...
This may be more prose than poetry. I don’t know. I know I felt like sharing it.
Revised for this blog and under copyright ~
White Buffalo Woman Speaks
Once, in the early beginnings of our solar system – when the Turtle Gods sacred-carried the world on their backs – carried our world with their indomitable persistent spirits...
Once, when the Thunderbird cloud-soared our Earth bringing cleansing, replenishing rains...and fierce-bringing the lightning to destroy whatever threatened our paradise...
Once, when Bear Goddesses happy-roamed our majestic Land, teaching all peoples to nourish and heal themselves with the fruit and herb abundances...and generous-teaching all how to live within nature’s harmony...
Once, when Spider Woman gracious and elegant-spun the material of the world into every beauty, into every natural function...from the spire tops of mountains to the tiny glisten of a rain puddle...
Once, there was another Earth, our Earth. And when the rainbow Peoples exploring-met each other, they rarely decided upon war’s destruction.
Once, the warriors protected the People, and, yet, peaceful natures ruled...there was the hope of understanding, the excitement and anticipation of learning each other’s ways.
Once, learning the cultural advantages of each meant the improvement of life for All.
So it was, once...when spiritual freedom and true joy were achieved upon this Earth. And life was the opportunity to choose what called to the individual Soul, what inspired each unique Heart.
I am White Buffalo Woman speaking to you.
I share one story, small as a wildflower seed, of our Earth, the lost-paradise Earth...the Earth where my dreams thrive and live whole still...
I share the story of a woman and a man, who walk reverently upon the Turtle Gods’ Earth...for, their love’s passion is endless in the starry bowl of our Great Universe—
All great blessings upon you–
White Buffalo Woman
~~~~~~
Happy Poetry Reading...
Savanna
Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~
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10 comments:
Beautiful passage, Savanna, and yes, I'd categorize this as prose poetry. And it came from the heart which in my definition is a requirement of poetry. Thanks for sharing this blueprint for peace.
Majestic and inspring, Savanna. I'm with Linda - it's prose poetry to me - epic prose poetry.
What a beautiful vision! As you say, if only it had happened that way....
Linda, oh, thank you so much. I'm not too good at categorizing things sometimes.
Yes, it did come from the heart, as the novella did, too.
Blueprint for peace... that is so perfect.
Oh, Lindsay, thanks. Writing the vision into a story, a slice of life was challenging and like living the dream... yeah, if only...
SAVANNA--well, I loved it. Very poetic to me, anyway, as the words flowed over each other making a sort of wave feeling. (see I'm not a poet, but I'm just trying to say how I feel). It sounded mystical and grand. thanks for sharing this with us. Celia
Celia, thank you for your kind words.
It does have sort of a 'wave' feeling... comparable to the waving prairie grasses, perhaps.
Land, the terrain, always influences speech, imo... as well as temperature, and other organic features.
Wow, Savanna, you never cease to impress me.
I loved this and the Native American flavor! I loved the title, too. I'd love to read the rest of it if you ever publish the story.
Congratulations on the contest win!
Having lived in South Dakota for so many years, I loved seeing the buffalo. We returned a few years ago were thrilled to see larger herds.
Bekki, oh, how I wish I could see the buffalo that way. I've only seen them up close and personal at a re-enactment like park area that also had pioneering houses and buildings that had been restored as if it were a village and farming settlement... it was a fabulous park...
Oh, the bison babies are so adorable. And, the big buffs as I call them, talk about tanks in shaggy animal form...
Beautiful, Savanna. I couldn't write poetry to save my life. Good for you.
Linda, thank you!
Ya know, I just thought of this... I probably couldn't write a Hemingway-like novel to save my life.
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