This  Place  Is  Holy

Black Elk  Hehaka Sapa

great holy man  wicasa waken  of the Oglala People

says in prayer

Grandfather, Great Spirit.

You lived first,

and you are older than all need,

older than all prayer.

All things belong to you.

You have set the powers of the four quarters to cross each other.

The good road and the road of difficulties

you have made to cross;

and where they cross

the place is holy

where the good road

and the road of difficulties

cross

is where I stand

and that place is the center of the world

and it is holy

everywhere I stand,

that place is at the Center

the great circle

the great hoop of life

the Sacred Hoop

moves as I move

and a great arc of light across the land

pulsing

breathes into life

the blessed pathways of a Sacred Nation

the Sacred Nation comes into being

where the road of difficulties

known in this body world

and the good road

blend

this place is holy

every time I allow my body world

to come to focus

in the spirit of the good road

the road of difficulties

dissolves

in a consciousness of the holy place,

a consciousness of Creator magnificence

a consciousness of love

this place is holy

receive the ever present opportunity to listen

for the presence of love

perceive

the ever present design of love

and walk in its pathways

these are the ways of life in the earth

learn these ways and respect them

always

this is the command of the Great Spirit

obey

Great Spirit

Day in and day out,

Forever,

You are the life of things

drawing by ren gidlow

poem by david barnes