Walking On 
Tom Jones
He was no ordinary man
he was a garden of color
a garden of substance
his soul planted seeds
in children
in his peers
in elders
when one would think there was no happiness
he gave you a flower of hope
he was no ordinary man
there is not many places
in Indian country
where they do not know his name
and
when they hear his name
a smile emerges
and
a story
‘he helped me get home to bury my love’
‘he made sure my daughter had a birthday’
‘he listened to me’
‘he always visited me when I had few visitors’
‘he helped me get sober’
‘he sang to me’
‘he played a mean piano’
‘he made me laugh’
and a little voice said
‘he took me to McDonalds’
He was no ordinary man
he loved his children
beyond what this world can hold
he loved my children
he loved your children
he honored the place of the seventh generation
each child he touched
became a part of him
he a part of them
they were the most precious buds
in his garden
he honored the elder blossoms of full maturity
listened when they spoke
he was not afraid to learn
he mourned each passing
honored each birth
He was no ordinary man
he knew paper work
red tape
he knew grants
he found money
for vans
buses
clinics
computers
education
Indian Child Welfare
for Indians
everywhere
each grant obtained, a seed was planted
each thing acquired a bloom
every place he left
a garden was growing
He was no ordinary man
he took his place
in the next world
leaving behind
the garden of his soul
to continue growing
trusting that we keep it watered
believing we could keep his garden fed
by giving hope
to those who feel hopeless
by giving love
to those who feel unloved
by giving ourselves
to those who have no one
by remembering where we came from
knowing who we are
having faith that we can become
He was no ordinary man
he left behind a song of the heart
that sings
you are not alone
you do not have to do it alone
I did not do it alone
be in the garden of each other
appreciate the beauty beside you
some will grow tall
some will have thorns
some will not have blossoms
all are needed
wanted
and the strongest
must share the water with the seedlings
This is no ordinary garden
We were blessed to have
danced in his garden
We are responsible
to keep it growing
We are not a ordinary People
No ordinary man
was extraordinary
because he thought he was ordinary
A humble good Indian Man
Walked on
Tom Jones
bloodpoet/2003
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