ihkatawâw ay-itwêhiwêw ~ The Marsh Sends a Message

Reeds breathe and I sense

that in this wet world

the breath utters a language

not yet lost, whispers words

not yet forgotten

cries a marsh message

that must be heard. âniskowaskwa

speak to me of kinosêw,

sâkahikan, manitow-sâkahikan,

êkwa nipiy. Reeds

confident and eloquent

ê-sôhkêyimocik êkwa ê-nihtâwêcik

tell me a story

ê-âcimostawicik

âniskowaskwa, fluid and flowing

a fluent kind of knowing,

whispering a story about this great land.

ê-kîmwêcik, ê-âtotahkik ôma kihci-askiy.