(If I had one story to tell the world, this would be it…)
I have nobody
No mother
No father
No sister
No brother
Miles
Many hundreds of miles away from home
I have nobody
Taken from home
Stripped, haircut,
Beating, slapping, whipping
Culture shock
Running
Running, running
Out of breath
I have to get out of here
I have my foot – they have horses
And cars
And they catch me
Beating, slapping, whipping
Culture shock
'don't speak Indian!'
They stand there with cold eyes
Holding a whip
My back sore
Dripping with blood
'don't speak Indian!'
They tell me
As they force soap into my mouth
Then I begin to choke
The soap has gone down
Caught in my throat
Coughing
Coughing, coughing
Out of breath
I have to get out of here
I never get a breath of fresh air
I am free
I can go home
They can't follow me on their horses
I leave no tracks
Their dogs can't track me
I leave no scent
Their fists, whips and bats can't hurt me
I have no body
My spirit lives on
Forever