|
The Sweat
A ceremonial ritual honoring Self and Mother Earth
Creates a harmonic void
Of silence and prayer.
Burning flesh oozes blood and tears
Leaving gaping wounds unsheltered by the leathery
Layers of skin congealed in the cells of the body.
Frightened by the darkness,
Frightened by the transformation of the Soul,
The breath stalks life in the shadow of death
Touching chords of compassion,
The drumming beat of the heart
Throbs between the silence and spoken word.
Creating a bond of tension,
The inner discord breaks through the blackened steam
And dissipates into nothingness.
The eagle's feathery touch burns understanding
Into an aching, throbbing knowingness:
In forgiveness, there is nothing to forgive
The Earth, the Fire, the Air, the Water
Blend into oneness as the steam penetrates
The darkened enclosure, creating a temple, a sanctuary
of peace.
The initiatory process melts into an implosion of joy,
As the stones whisper in the darkening night,
"Free your Spirit! Soar with the Eagle into the
Light." |
A
Sweat Lodge located next to the I Am Presence represents the Native American
way of acknowledging the Truths by which they live. A
pond with a water fall and a circulating stream of water is beside the
Sweat Lodge. Symbols created from small rocks represent Integrity,
Purpose, Power and I Am That I Am. These symbols are in front of
the Pond. The sacred ceremony used in a Sweat transforms and cleanses
the Spirit/Soul. All of the elements are present: water, fire, earth
and air. My poem expresses my experience from having participated
in a Sweat.