As 2013 arrives, here’s a historical view of Santa Barbara in January, 1835…
“Lie the mission and town of Santa Barbara, on a low plain, but little above the level of the sea, covered with grass, though entirely without trees, and surrounded on three sides by an amphitheater of mountains, which slant off to the distance of fifteen or twenty miles. The mission stands a little back of the town, and is a large building, or rather collection of buildings, in the center of which is a high tower, with a belfry of five bells,” Richard Henry Dana, Jr. wrote is his classic, Two Years Before the Mast.
“The town lies a little nearer to the beach – about half a mile from it – and is composed of one-story houses built of sun-baked clay, or adobe, some of them whitewashed, with red tiles on the roof. I should judge that there were about a hundred of them; and in the midst of them stands the Presidio, or fort built of the same materials and apparently but little stronger. The town is finely situated, with a bay in the front, and an amphitheater of hills behind,” Dana Jr. concluded in his 1835 voyage around the California coastline.
In my Father`s Father`s time,when you landed on these shores,
we welcomed you with open arms & open village doors…
We smoked the pipes,we shook hands,declared each-other friends,
but I see your new “beginning” was the beginning…of the End.
So you say you want a “home”, where the buffalo can roam?,
and the deer & the antelope do play?..
Well, we gave you what you asked us for,
but still you wanted more & more,
and now you`ve gone & chased them all away!
Now what do I tell my hungry child,with no food on her plate,
when she sees your babies eating?..no,she cannot live on “hate”…
So don`t feed me empty promises & tell me no more lies,
Ain`t signin no more “peace treaties”, I won`t be subsidised.
Yes, today you hold us in your hand,like little baby birds…
But White Buffalo Calf is coming soon,so brother,mark my words…
Cause when that day arrives,you`ll see an “Indian`s worth”,
Red-Nation will arise again,to re-claim Mother Earth,
then you`ll ask your-self “What have we done & where have all the flowers gone”?
You just watched them…as they faded all away…..
This is an awesome poem,is it yours & may I use it?
Thank you..It`s actually a song without the chorus & yes, you may use it.