The Commitment of War

Proudly did the horse run free
Through the meadows silently
Until the day we took the land,
But, we were wrong you understand.

We stripped the trees
and built our tracks
We moved too fast
Did not look back

Along the rivers
we damned ourselves
with poisoned water
and empty wells

The teepees in the star filled night
bore no more smoke nor candlelight
the salmon rivers all ran dry
with boats and nets ten feet high

the fruitful land
no longer vast
Clean fresh air
is now the past

We took from those
who knew no fault
Through death and despair
we did not halt

And though we work
to try to change
the life we lead
still the same

Whether wars are lost
or wars are won
We must always remember
what we have done.

Hibby Jensen
Humanitarian