The Theft Outright

Painting by Anita Endrezze

The Theft Outright

after Robert Frost


We were the land's before we were.
Or the land was ours before you were a land.
Or this land was our land, it was not your land.
We were the land before we were people,
loamy roamers rising, so the stories go,
or formed of clay, spit into with breath reeking soul—

What's America, but the legend of Rock 'n' Roll?
Red rocks, blood clots bearing boys, blood sands
swimming being from women's hands, we originate,
originally, spontaneous as hemorrhage.
Un-possessing of what we still are possessed by,
possessed by what we now no more possess.

We were the land before we were people,
dreamy sunbeams where sun don't shine, so the stories go,
or pulled up a hole, clawing past ants and roots—
Dineh in documentaries scoff dna evidence off .
They landed late, but canyons spoke them home.
Nomadic Turkish horse tribes they don't know.

What's America, but the legend of Stop 'n' Go?
Could be cousins, left on the land bridge,
contrary to popular belief, that was a two-way toll.
In any case we'd claim them, give them some place to stay.
Such as we were we gave most things outright
(the deed of the theft was many deeds and leases
and claim stakes and tenure disputes and moved plat markers
stolen still today . . .)

We were the land before we were a people,
earthdivers, her darling mudpuppies, so the stories go,
or emerging, fully forming from flesh of earth—
The land, not the least vaguely,
realizing in all four directions,
still storied, art-filled, fully enhanced.
Such as she is, such as she wills us to become.



Heid E. Erdrich....from "National Monuments"
Who, for those who are wondering, or don't know, is the sister of
wonderful poet, Louise Erdrich.