..............
Darkness settled in like a warm blanket
on a cold winter night,
The flickering flames of evening fires
were the only light.
Around the fires the young ones sit
in quiet anticipation,
For the Elders to teach them their
history and traditions.
They huddled close to the fire
as the night air grew cold,
Listening to the stories of warriors ,
brave and bold.
They listened to the stories while
the wolves sang on the hill,
Stories of why the turkey gobbles and
how the kingfisher got his bill,
They heard about the rabbit and
all his trickster ways,
Of how the world was made and how
the dog made the Milky Way.
They listened 'til their eyes grew heavy
until sleep carried them away
Into the land of slumber to await the coming day.
