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Wokiksuye

—in borrowed language in honor and memory of Bill Ice

Like a horse’s tail

so thick, black

down past his waist

beautiful.    Wanyaka.

Chemotherapy—

white man’s

man-made cancer . . .

doesn’t distinguish

between good or bad

cells . . . just kills.

The spirit is connected

to the hair at the

crown—pahin hocoka.

The hair falls

the spirit goes,

the will is

connected no more.

Leukemia—

cancer of the

White

Blood Cell.

Lakota wicasa

Oglala wica

Ha Luta Oyate    wicozani sni

Kuja, unsika

Canku Wakan o mani

ma wanagi o mani

wasigla

ceya

wokiksuye

wokiksuye

wopilamaye

miksuya

Canku Luta o mani

Canku Waste o mani

wohitika

iyomakpi, iyomakpi

ake—anpetu

anpetu waste

I knew him well.

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The language about poetry

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