Daily Archive

My Father Never Told Me
by Mary Agnes

The Dancing Warrior Manitoo
       
                        (*A manitoo in the Algonquin tribes is a spirit)

My Father never told us
We come from a tribe.
My uncle said “We’re Miq’mac.”
We laughed –”Big Mac”?
My Father hung his head.

Now we learn the stories
We were never told,
Seeking our songs on the internet,
The myths and tales we could never get
From silent fathers.

“Dancing Warrior Manitoo.”
A wise elder gives the youngest son
A box. Inside, a tiny warrior dancing,
Dancing so much he was sweating
(My ancestors noticed that.)

“What do you want of me?”
The dancing manitoo would ask
When you opened the box. He would do
Anything you wanted him to.
Why wasn’t I told this?

There’s much more, but I stop there,
Feeling the story beat in my blood,
My manitoo lost.  I grieve.
He could do anything from his box but leave.
I know him.