Children of the Middle River
--for the Osage
The Earth and the Moon,
footsteps in the dust on a road
to purity, dreams the very breath
of spirits, their voices beyond
each spoken word, tongues planting
bulbs like truths in the heart, like seeds
birthing from the soil, water and air,
knowing the need to be nourished
by the milk of their Mother, sustained
by her to endure each day, each month,
and year, the river renewing the future
as the Earth and the Moon move,
so that all living Nations might grow,
the rocks and trees flowing
silently within us.
Mark B. Hamilton works in ecopoetry, often focused on the riparian zone of the Missouri River, where he has traveled extensively by kayak. His special interests include: First Nations cosmologies, pre-industrial America, and the poetics of change.
Recent poetry volumes are: LAKE, RIVER, MOUNTAIN (2024), the chapbook UPSTREAM (2024), and OYO: The Beautiful River (2020). A forthcoming volume of traditional verse, 1803: The Wintering, a history-based book founded upon research and field studies on Lewis and Clark, will be published in 2026. View additional author info at: MarkBHamilton.WordPress.com
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