To Indigeny,

This poem is offered as a communication from a representative of "civilization" to indigenous peoples everywhere. As such, it is fervently wished by the writer that it could represent the attitude of his peers. To that end, he has dedicated his remaining years and efforts, eyes open to the likelihood of success.

The "Ancient Homeland" I refer to is the place in Africa from which the first of human kind evolved, and eventually radiated.

~James

Weep For Us

A Message to the Indigenous Peoples of Earth
© 1994

By James Lester

Your ancient ancestors came into lands
Devoid of human kind
Bringing with them the customs
Of our ancient common heritage

A heritage from which we Westerners
Have been cut off by time and brutality
A heritage which we meet once again
But do not know

Through you we have had the chance
To see ourselves as we might still be
Had our ancestors remained
Healthy and sane

We are the product of what happened
To those you left behind

On your great treks
From our Rift Valley Home
Across the land bridge
To what we call

The Americas

The archipelagoes
To what we call

Australia

Into the savannas
We call interior

Africa

Weep for Us

Our ancestors knew not

Of your departure
So long ago

You knew not of their travail
In the eons to follow

Rejoice in your fortune
You carry with you their essence

An essence which soured
Became rancid
There in our ancient homeland

You did not know of the
change in the land

The sand and Ice that
Seemed to betray
Those you left behind
Those who did not know
You had departed

They did not know
What you were finding

Thought their conditions
Were those of the

WHOLE WORLD

Did not know they
Did not know the

WHOLE WORLD

You went away into a
Part of the world
That did not change
From what
We all knew before

Thought your new conditions
Were those of the

WHOLE WORLD

Did not know you
Did not know the

WHOLE WORLD

You survived without us

We "survived" without you

The changes in our ancient
Common Motherland

After you left

Gave rise to the insane

The insanity spread

Our Fathers panicked
They enslaved our Mothers
As they did

Our MOTHER EARTH

So well loved by
You and your Parents

"INCREASE AND MULTIPLY"
They commanded

They stampeded us through
The generations
Out of our Common Homeland
Into the Europe of old
We have become sophisticated
In the strategies of our flight
In the treacheries against our

MOTHER EARTH

We, arrogant pups
When one teat went dry
Cried "Traitor!" to our Mother
Knowing only ourselves
Knowing only one teat
Thought to punish our Mother

And when we "discovered"
The other teats full
Refused in our rage
Your offer to share
Cried, "Wean or be killed!"
To our fellow pups

Even now
We are fastened in savage lust
On her thus bared paps
Drinking in mad vengeance
While sawing
And drilling
And squeezing
And biting
To kill our only

MOTHER
EARTH

You show our

Common ancient Wisdom

When you turn away from us

In our treatment of you
We show you
What happened to us

In their anguish and despair
Our Fathers
Made a virtue
Of our madness

We saw you as in our
Ancient paradise
The one we had been
Taught to despise

We thought to bring you
To your senses

To see your reality as
We had been made to see it:

To know it as

A MIRAGE

A CRUEL TEASE

We tested you with
ANNIHILATION

We tested you with
GENOCIDE
Not knowing it was
self-genocide

I weep for you

We asked you
"If you are not human
Should we not use you in our madness?"

We asked you
"If you are human
Should you not join us in our madness?"

IN YOUR SIGHS

IN YOU DREAMS

IN YOUR WORDS

IN YOUR SCREAMS

IN YOUR BLOOD

IN YOUR DEATH

IN YOUR LIFE

WE HEAR YOUR ANSWER

Our Fathers were wrong

We weep for them

We are wrong

TURN AWAY FROM US

Cling anew to what
Our Fathers once shared
With yours

Keep the faith of our
Ancient Ancestors

While we wrestle
With our apostasy

We must go away from you
We must take what we
Have learned from you
And go away

We must go away and heal ourselves

BUT, BEWARE OF WHAT
YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM US

WE BEAR FALSE WITNESS

Know that the sand and ice
Was local

Know that our Fathers thought
The Ancient Homeland was the

WHOLE WORLD

DO NOT LET US STAMPEDE YOU

INTO GENOCIDE

TERRACIDE:

WE MURDER OUR MOTHER

LET US WEEP FOR HER

So, run from us
Hide

SHE will roll over us soon
In HER anguish and pain

Then
SHE will welcome you back
To continue nursing
Those who remain

Weep for Us

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THEN
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FORGET ABOUT US.

Now, hear from representatives of Indigeny.

American Comments Magazine

And
"Ongwehoweh"

Last modified: Wednesday, December 01, 2004

James