This world is of me <br />And I am of it <br />It makes me who I am <br />What I must be <br />The birds fly freely <br />They are my family <br />Teaching freedom <br />The bear and buffalo - my family <br />Teaching strength, endurance <br />The beaver and tortoise - my family <br />Teaching perseverance, patience <br />The wolf - my family <br />Teaching loyalty, friendship <br />The fox - my family <br />Teaching wisdom, insight <br />The air - my breath <br />The river - my blood <br />The grass - my bed <br />The starry night - my blanket <br />To remove any piece of this <br />Diminishes me <br />Suffocates me <br />Destroys me <br />When I fight <br />Not only for my people but my family <br />To die fighting is the way of my family <br />To resist servitude until my death is honorable <br />The time of resistance is now <br />To fight or be broken <br />To stand tall - not to crawl <br />The day my breath joins the wind will be a good day.<br /><br />Claude H Oliver II<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-spirit-of-crazy-horse/
