Robert J. Conley - We Wait
1. White Blight
Crookneck Whiteblight, anthropologist,
Bermuda shorts & tennis shoes,
spectacles on nose,
in radiant pomposity rares back
in his chair, feet on desk.
Of course, the songs themselves have small
value for the serious scholar, though I, my-
self, should probably acknowledge a certain
indebtedness to the savage for filling out
my biblio. But the real thrill is getting
the stuff they think in their childlike
simplicity is sacred. The successful anthro
must be not only well-informed but clever.
And in the cleverness - ah, therein lies the
thrill. For instance, it's amazing what
the waving of a dollar bill can do; Spirit-
uality goes up in smoke, so to speak, and
you've got yourself an article. I've had
not a few successes with the Amerinds.
2. The Earth
the earth is my mother
the grass is her hair
with your plows you are ripping her breast
I will not use a plow
nor will I cut the grass
nor herd and pen up my little brothers
the various animals
I cannot stop you
but I will not follow you.
3. (to be sung to the tune of «A Mighty Fortress is Our God»)
Is it not wonderful to think
What God has done for man?
He's sent the white to save the red,
To take him by the hand,
To take his hand and lift him up
From darkness and from Sin,
To teach him how to work and pray,
Speak English and drink gin,
To cut his hair a decent way,
Wear pants and shirts and shoes,
To eat his food with knife and fork
And gracefully to lose.
4. USA
the cities are overcrowded
with people who are going crazy
streams are polluted
a man cannot swim in them
nor drink from them
neither can he eat with safety
the fish that swim in them
the air is not fit to breathe
there is violence on campus
violence in the streets
the crime rate soars and
a senseless immoral war drags on
the government is corrupt
and does not even know it
and the English language is degenerating
on all fronts into Madison Avenue drivel
we have maybe 30 yrs. (they say)
5. the old prophecy
it came in various forms
from the Creek
85 the Navajo
but the message is always clear
white men will come
(they did)
they will take the land
(they did)
they will nearly destroy the People
(they tried)
they will waste the land
(they have)
then they will go away
(we wait).