Born Red raised Red, for a time...
Sent to the suburbs for a "better life"

Public Schooling:
"Conform or you will never fit in. You ask too many questions.
Just learn the lesson and stop being so difficult."

Private Worship:
"Excuse me Father. I do not understand this."
"To Question is a Sin"

Playing with other boys:
"Hey Redskin, let's play Cowboys and Indians!"
cowboys and indians...
white hats, black hats, and no hats
John Wayne and Cochise
"Only good Injun is a dead Injun"
cowboys and indians....
"You don't look like no real Injun to me!"
"don't talk about your relatives, the people here don't understand
and won't believe you anyway.
It will only lead to problems now and later."

Not conforming, not fitting in.
Feet in two worlds, belonging to neither.

Turmoil. Anger. Self destruction.

Drugs. Alcohol. Violence. Loneliness.

But wait... Why fight?
Pale enough to get by.
Brown hair and blue eyes
can get you a pretty good life in this World.

Adult life:
Conform. Play the Game.
Money. Success. Debt. Doubt.
Feeling hollow. Soulless. Wasichu.
More blood than many, less than some.
More understanding than some, less than many.

Red Heart beating Red Blood to White Brain.
Spirit wanting to soar but cannot...
wings crippled in childhood.
Can't stay here, can't go home.
Home does not exist anymore, maybe it never did.

Feet in two worlds, belonging to neither.
Do not ask me what it is to be "Native".
I do not know.
Have my hands full just trying to be me.
Not such a bad thing really. :)

This is dedicated to the "lost birds"
in hopes they will survive their flight home.

Author: Anonymous