Wovoka (named Jack Wilson in English), a Northern Paiute, dreamed
he was taken to the spirit world and saw all Native Americans being
taken up into the sky and the Earth opening up to swallow all Whites
and to revert back to its natural state. He claimed that he was shown
that by dancing the round-dance continuously, the dream would become
a reality and the participants would enjoy the new Earth. This was also
called Ghost Dance.
Ghost Dancing
I was ghost dancing a dream
I am ghost dancing a dream
I'm a dancing ghost,
a lone ghost dancing
between surf and horizon
from where sun sets to
when it rises
a ghost whose dance is familiar,
so familiar it reminds me
of one I did not know
but whose breath was mine,
and whose skin
but who, now dancing
in this skin, breathing,
is less unfamiliar than that ghost
who danced on tenderfeet, tripping
(but not the light fantastic,
just a young klutz who looked up
while dancing close to an edge
being, dreaming)
dancing on a brink
like a will-be ghost
……….. dancing
……….. dancing
still….. dancing
ghost . dancing
………..
.
Jim Culleny
8/25/17