Strength~Mountain and Stone

The mountains stand so tall foundations of stone, filled with trees high and grown - grown from centuries, reaching high to the sky, strength from mountain and stone.

Upon these mountains the grasses grow, the animals live and often man does roam, in these mountains in the land of my folk, the mountain people who escaped with strength, to the mountains and the stone.

From here a life they made, man and wife - children came. From the earth they toiled, gaining strength, to live upon these mountains and stone. These are the mountains that became their home upon which they planted roots of their own.

Their roots grew tall and reached to the sky, the mountain people, my folk, tsa la gi - o da lv - o da lv - my family, my people, the mountain folk. They survived removal and death, wars and illnesses and lack of rest. Never time to rest too long, there was land to plow and crops to grow. A house to build from those tall trees, to provide a home for my family.

They were strong my people the mountain folk. Strong in character, in faith and hope.

Now I know - yes, I do, that the same blood that came from them is in me too. I have that strength of mountain and stone and upon this land I shall build my own. Strength and hope and the will to survive, to grow old, like my people, the mountain folk.

Strength from the mountain and stone, the voices of my family the mountain folk, are now in unison with my own. A year of hardship and adversity is nothing compared to the life we had, don’t you see? Yes, I say within my soul, I hear you my family, the mountain folk and now I stand tall and high like the mighty oak. I understand now. I have learned. That the strength within me is who I am, because my family, I am who I am.

Your daughter, granddaughter, sister and friend, your cousin, your niece, I am who I am. I am yours. Tsa la gi - I am proud - I am strong and I am Cherokee.

Written by Svhyeyi Aga~Evening Rain

Tsa la gi

November 20, 2000

©Svhyeyi Aga-Evening Rain-All Rights Reserved

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