| The night sky dawned crisp and clear, the blackness brushing away the last vestiges of
twilight and tucking the sun finally to bed. I looked up at the pinpricks that had formed
in the velvet covering the dome of the earth and saw our Grandmother, Nokomis hanging full
and bright - a reverse silhouette in an autumn sky. Gathering my implements, I headed out
into the chill of the night air to seek an audience with her. The time of the full moon is
seen as a time of strength and solidarity for women, and although I do not menstruate in
this lifetime, I wanted to pay homage to the female side of myself.
I started off down the road, wrapped in my own thoughts, when I heard a rustle to my
left. Spinning around, I saw a flash of white as the tail of a buck danced into the night.
I stopped and spoke to him, and he too stopped. Speaking softly, I told him who I was and
not to be afraid for I would bring him no harm that night. We shared a moment, standing
there, and I joined my spirit with his and we ran together. I could feel my legs tighten
as we ran, cells crying for oxygen. My heart and lungs screamed with exhilaration. On and
on we went, gliding quietly through the forest, whispering past trees. In time we emerged
into a clearing, a place to rest. Thanking my friend, I returned to myself and continued
my journey down the road. As I walked, I remembered the spirit deer that came to me first
at the Petroglyph site. I was intrigued by the thought that although my spirit is that of
the wolf, it is a deer that watches over me. It seemed to represent a kind of balance, the
deer feeding the wolf and the wolf keeping the deer strong.
Turning from the road, I continued down the path leading to the forest and began
looking for a place to sit. As I entered the woods, I saw a place where a break in the
trees allowed our Grandmother to shine a white circle on the forest floor. It was there
that I set down my blanket and arranged my things before settling myself to the ground as
well. There was hardly a whisper of wind, and the candle flame cut upward, illuminating
the night. I laid out my pipe, looked up into the night, and began my conversation.
Copyright © Mike Pedde
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More stories and poetry by Mike are on his website
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