Indian Ghost Messages

Last night Wovoka, the Paiute Messiah,
came to me
He whispered beneath his dark-brimmed hat
words like secret ice
Listen: You have lost your civilization
Last night Tatanka Yotanka woke me up
His raisin eyes glanced with sorrow
Listen: Not all warriors are cold warriors
Last night Mahutpa Lupta touched my shoulder
His braids created grooves in my soul
Listen: The Trail of Tears is not over
I wake up and I am primary color blind
All I see are various shades of cornflower blue
Crimson, burnt sienna, eggshell white
All the simplicity of my life is gone
Their words have blurred everything
like rain across the still moist canvas