Language birthed from earth, made animate from the primordial fires of Her hearth is my soul’s great gift, gived and received, and my life’s craft of creation. Here below are just a few select offerings of story, poetry, and movement.

Poetry in Motion

(a note: many of these pieces were created with my legal name, before my given name became my name.

Oral Stories and Spoken Poems

“Naked As Poetry (No Shame in Soul Nor Body)”

by Chris Ponzi and Cameron Jordan.

A Poem to Leave You With

We will not go quietly into the mountain
With eyes downcast at defeated feet,
Cast out by the blind builders of conceit;
No, we will not go quietly into the mountain.

We will not retreat solemnly into the trees,
Seep into the sap that was our womb,
Birthed our bodies, now seals our tomb;
No, we will not retreat solemnly into the trees.

We will not sink without song beneath the sea,
Swallowed–no hymn nor hum– by the tidal change,
Swaying deafly to the tune our mother's sang;
No, we will not sink without song beneath the sea.

We will not fade fate-less in that red sun set,
Dispersed as scattered light beyond the rock;
A sand storm ship adrift, forever lost;
No, we will not fade fate-less in that red sun set.

We will not go quietly into the mountain,
We will echo this call from clan to clan,

We will stand our ground, hand in hand;
Yes, we are not going quietly into the mountain.

A Poem by Deer Ryder

To Honor the Indigenous Peoples of the World Defending their Culture, People (human and non-human) and their Land.