From a celebrated Chickasaw writer, a spiritual meditation, in prose and poetry, on our relationship to the animal world, in an illustrated gift package.
Concerned that human lives and the natural world are too often defined by people who are separated from the land and its inhabitants, Indigenous writer and environmentalist Linda Hogan depicts her own intense relationships with animals as an example we all can follow to heal our souls and reconnect with the spirit of the world. From her modest forest home in Colorado, and venturing throughout the region, especially to her beloved Oklahoma, she introduces us to horses, packrats, snakes, mountain lions, elks, wolves, bees, and so many others whose presence has changed her life. In this illuminating collection of essays and poems, lightly sprinkled with elegant drawings, Hogan draws on many Native nations’ ancient stories and spiritual traditions to show us that the soul exists in those delicate places where the natural world extends into human consciousness—in the mist of morning, the grass that grew a little through the night, the first warmth of this morning’s sunlight. Altogether, this beautifully packaged gift is a reverential reminder for all of us to witness and appreciate the radiant lives of animals.
Praise for the work of Linda Hogan
“Linda Hogan’s work is rooted in truth and mystery.”
—Louise Erdrich
“Words for healing.”
—Joy Harjo
“Breathtaking.”
—Barbara Kingsolver
“Essential.”
—Luis Alberto Urrea
“Evocative, true, and dangerous.”
—Terry Tempest Williams
“Absorbing and lyrical.”
—Paula Gunn Allen
“Powerful.”
—Tony Hillerman
“A marvel.”
—Jim Harrison
PREFACE
The Great Without
PART ONE
Eagle Feather Prayer (poem)
One Creation (poem)
Re-minding
The Maps (poem): After a Visit to Tribal Archeological Sites
This Land I Live
The World Is a House of Words
The Enchanted Bedroom
The Enchantments
PART TWO
Elk Dog: The Horse
Indian Territory
Bear (poem)
The Daily Hours
The Wolves
Dawn for All Time
This Morning (poem)
One Mind
The Foxes: Praise to the Earth Beings
The Voice of the Crow
Mountain Lion (poem)
It Walks Away
Revelations
Kingbird at the Door
The Visitant
Watching Over (poem)
Acknowledgments