path of the Spirit Warrior

If you will but
remain open to Great Spirit
keep your heart in a good place
cry for a vision to
give shape to your identity
direction to your destiny

if you walk gently, in humility
and with purity along
the Red Road to
becoming human, a
human being, a
natural power, a presence

you will mature and
fulfil responsibility to
All Relations
in the Sacred Hoop of Creation

going out
over space and time as
one worthy of mention, as
one deserving to be remembered
across generations—ancestor.

Honoring comes
to those abiding
in the duty of honoring.

It is enough in
life to see to hear to taste
to feel to hold
and to let go of holding
and to let be without

growing old in dream
or old in soul, to
conquer the wish for death
the hovering darkness
the intimidating cold
with the fire of love
in a meadow-bed of soft caress with
prairie-stars and cornflowers, with
the fire of life
on a mountain slope in the rising sun.

 *************************

David Sparenberg, An international essayist, eco-poet, and storyteller, David Sparenberg is author of four books: EARTH KEEPER: an Ecosophy of Poems, EARTH CRISIS HUMAN CRISIS: Urgent Essays, BEING HERE & BELONGING: Visions, Talks & Meditations, volumes 1-3 in the Grassroots Reader Series, and CONFRONTING the CRISIS: Essays & Meditations on Eco Spirituality from Moon Books.  David lives in Seattle, WA in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.