THE DAY THE EAGLE CRIED
She Soared high over her land.
A land of blue skies, green trees, high mountains, deep valleys,
quiet streams and churning oceans.
This land called America.
The Eagle has seen many changes.
She can not remember how long her kind has lived on this land.
She remembers the stories passed on from her elders.
Stories of Indians of many kinds.
Indians who roamed the land and took only what they needed.
They gave the Eagle respect.
This was long ago.
People from other lands came to America
They now call this land theirs.
They have cut the trees, moved the mountains and changed
the face of America forever.
Today the Eagle watched as people from other lands destroyed great
buildings.
Many lives were lost.
Her blue sky is filled with a noxious smoke.
As she soared over her land, she could not understand why
people
would treat her land and it's people with such disrespect.
People are no longer free to roam this land.
Greed and corruption have found it's way into the lives of it's
people.
Today America lost her innocence.
As the symbol of ALL her people, the
Eagle watched and her heart was sad.
8:45 AM September 11th , 2001
The Day the Eagle cried.
written this day, September 23, 2001
updated January 7th, 2002
By Gloria Jean Childers
For Marie Red Cloud, my adopted Grandmother
Pine Ridge Reservation
South Dakota
Made in the USA