When you burn my heart to ashes
I will renew it with unconditional love
When you exhaust my eyes with crying
I will look upon others with great kindness
When you smother my voice and I cannot speak
I will let my deeds speak in compassionate volumes
When you cover me in deep darkness
I will be the light that shines brightly
When you ravage my heart and mind with loss,
I will remember, I am not my heart or mind
When you try to deprive me of happiness
I will be the one who watches
#whenyourmomdies #poetry #grief #loss #michaelsinger
THE LEGEND OF TSAGAGLALAL
THERE are several versions of the legend, but the one that was told to us by the Wishram people is as follows:
A woman had a house where the village of Nixluidix was later built. She was chief of all who lived in the region. That was a long time before Coyote came up the river and changed things and people were not yet real people. After a time Coyote in his travels came to this place and asked the inhabitants if they were living well or ill. They sent him to their chief who lived up on the rocks, where she could look down on the village and know what was going on.
Coyote climbed up to the house on the rocks and asked “What kind of living do you give these people? Do you treat them well or are you one of those evil women?” “I am teaching them to live well and build good houses,” she said.
“Soon the world will change,” said Coyote, “and women will no longer be chiefs.” Then he changed her into a rock with the command, “You shall stay here and watch over the people who live here.”
All the people know that Tsagaglalal sees all things, for whenever they are looking at her those large eyes are watching them.
-“Stone Age on the Columbia River” by Emory Strong, 1959
Useful links:
https://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guide/She_Who_Watches_Hike
The Princess of Perpetual Peace 