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The poem you are about to read is an on going work by the writer..
The legend is however TRUE..there was indeed a clan such as the one talked about here..and it is believed by some that there were survivors..but no one knows for sure..Everything that follows with the Clan Mother and the young man is all in the mind of the writer..and it will take you on a Journey indeed..through "many years".."many lives"..and "many time frames"..so enjoy the Journey and it will be "continued"

Copyright November 2004
Marty Soaring Eagle

There is a tradition among the Tsalagi that there was once a priestly clan, the Ani-Kutani, who had hereditary supervision of all religious ceremonies among the Tsalagi. Because they were held in such awe they began to be overbearing, insolent and
 even cruel in their behavior. They were even known to take the wives of other men for their pleasure. Finally, one of them abducted the wrong woman, because her husband organized the other men and they exterminated the entire clan.
I began to think one day, what if the young husband had come upon the Clan Mother, the last remaining member of the Ani-Kutani, and that she had bargained with him for her life. Her story being that his wife’s spirit was traveling through time and space, and that if he would spare her life she would give him the power to follow his wife with the expectation of one day being reunited with her someday. So he follows her through many lifetimes but is never able to reunite with her. Little did he know that the old woman had lied to him out of revenge for the death of her family, and that no matter how far, or how long, he travels he will never have his wife again. Thus we have
 
THE ENDLESS JOURNEY
 
I
 
Across the mountains of the thunder,
through the shadows of the Sun,
onward trod the weary warrior
scarred by battles lost and won.
He had traveled long and hard,
he had no idea how far,
he had the look one often gets
when they’re not sure where they are.
the distance that he traveled
was measured not in miles, but in years.
Sometimes he felt so far away,
sometimes he felt so near.
So, on he walked through the valley of the mind,
past today into tomorrow,
never sure when he would find
the one thing that would take away his sorrow.
II
 
It had been a cruel, sadistic act
that had taken her away,
and no matter how long he traveled,
He couldn’t forget that day.
She had been taken while he was gone
and cruelly violated,
his whole world had been destroyed
so that someone’s lust could be sated.
The Ani-Kutani had taken other women
and done with them as they pleased.
In his grief and anger he vowed
that this would finally cease.
 The clan of priests that he had been taught
to honor since his birth,
He, and others, proceeded to wipe
off the face of the earth.
They had killed them, all but one,
the whole clan was almost exterminated.
There was but one left to die,
then their task would be completed.
“Stop,” she cried. “you must hear me out
before you take my life.
If you will spare this poor old woman
I can give you back your wife.
Even now her spirit
travels on through space and time,
I will give you the power
to follow her,
I’ll trade her life for mine!”
So, that day he began a journey
to which there was no end.
For what he didn’t know at the time
was that the old woman was just getting revenge.
For no matter how far he traveled,
no matter how hard he tried,
he would never be reunited
with the love of his life.
But still on he walked through the valley of the mind,
past today into tomorrow,
hoping someday that he would find
the one thing that would take away his sorrow.
 
III
 
Today it felt like he had traveled
a hundred years or so,
he didn’t know where he was headed,
but he knew he had to go.
Once again he felt so near
so he pressed on with a new urgency,
on he traveled, long and hard,
compelled by her memory.
He had known her from his childhood,
he had loved her as a man.
Why she had been taken from him
he would never understand.
But with each passing day
his determination grew.
One day he would have her back,
no matter what he had to do.
He had fought on many battlefields,
and seen victory and defeat.
He had walked down lonely paths,
and been confused by busy streets,
as he walked through the valley of the mind,
past today into tomorrow,
hoping someday he would find
the one thing that would take away his sorrow.
 
IV
 
Resting now beneath an old oak tree,
listening to the gentle stream,
his weary body surrendered to sleep
And he began to dream.
He was standing on a battlefield
with warriors dressed in blue and gray.
He had finally gotten a glimpse of her
on that fateful day.
The smells, the sounds were so intense,
all day the battle raged.
The earth had quaked as the cannons roared,
and death prowled like an animal uncaged.
All around was the smell of smoke and blood
and the ground was turned to red.
He remembered wondering how many would be sacrificed
 to keep the animal fed.
He didn’t remember why he was there,
or which side he was on,
All that mattered was one moment she was there,
and just as suddenly she was gone.
One minute he had been standing there
fighting in the Sun,
then he was engulfed by the darkness
caused by the enemy’s gun.
Then through the deafening silence
came a sound he had begin to think
he would never hear again.
And through the pain he felt her gentle touch upon his skin.
But just as he was about to look into her eyes,
The animal came to be fed, and the noble warrior died.
So, here he was in another time and place,
by fate he had been cheated,
but on he traveled, discouraged, but not defeated.
As on he walked through the valley of the mind,
past today into tomorrow,
hoping someday he would find
the one thing that would take away his sorrow.
V
 
There were times he seemed to just drift through time and space,
it was then the great sense of loneliness he had to face.
It was there he had to confront his doubts and fears,
it was there and then he was free to shed bitter tears.
But in spite of all that, what brought him great solace,
was that in the darkness he could see her face,
and in the silence he could hear her voice.
It was there that the memories would flood his mind,
it was there that he would find
the ability to return to where it all had begun.
To remember the last time he had seen her
bathed by the Sun.
He had come to the valley to tell her good by,
she had come to the valley so he wouldn’t see her cry.
It had taken so long for her love for him to grow,
and now that it had, he hated to go.
But to honor his commitment to the People,
and to keep his word true.
No matter how difficult there was something he must do.
And now, in his mind, even after so many years,
the memories of that day were so painfully clear.
As he came up behind her she turned with a start,
and he drank in her beauty
not just with his eyes, but with his spirit and heart.
As he reached for her, after a moment’s hesitation,
she came into his arms.
Then he had kissed her, and promised that his love
would protect her from harm.
So, as he cried in the darkness, his pledge he renewed,
to do what he must to make his promise true.
So, on he would walk through the valley of the mind,
past today and into tomorrow,
until he would find the one thing that would take away his sorrow.
 
VI
 
The fog like a blanket covered the nearby woods
as he trudged down the road as slowly as he could.
For where he was going he had no desire,
he would rather be home asleep by the fire.
He was sure he was going to look like a fool,
imagine a Cherokee man sitting in a school.
He was thirteen years old and had proven his manhood,
and he was sure this school would do him no good.
But the Elders had made him, and the others, realize
that getting an education would prove they were civilized.
So, he had got up before dawn and put on his “civilized” clothes,
now, these “civilized” shoes were wearing blisters on his toes.
Then, all of a sudden, there was the horrible place,
he wasn’t sure how much of this he could face.
Slowly he entered, like a condemned man walking his last mile.
he wasn’t sure if it was the voice or the smile,
but suddenly emotions that had laid dormant for so long,
flooded his mind with emotions so strong
that he couldn’t move, and his breath was taken away.
Then he realized that fate
had struck a cruel blow again that day.
For the enemy that would keep them apart
was time, not space.
For her spirit was now in a body
with gray hair and a wrinkled face.
When he looked in her eyes, that took away any doubt,
he tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out.
He didn’t see any indication of recognition on her part,
so he accepted the situation
and kept his secret in his heart.
That day he made a commitment to work and to learn,
so, if nothing else, at least her approval he would earn.
He worked to become the best student
that the school would ever know,
and he worked even harder
to not let his love for her show.
 
The years flew by so quickly,
tomorrow would be his graduation.
His family, and his Tribe, wanted him to go get more education.
Though his mind was filled with indecision,
he knew what he must do.
He had made a promise to serve his People,
and he must see it through.
Early the next morning, before the Sun came over the hill,
the news came that during the night she had fallen ill.
She was asking for him, he had better come fast,
the doctor said she was dying,
he didn’t know how long she would last.
As he entered the room, he heard her shallow breathing,
it seemed to always end this way,
with one of them leaving.
“Come nearer,” she whispered in a small, frail voice,
“there is something I have to say.”
Bending down he saw tears in her eyes,
and with her last breath he heard her say,
“I am leaving now, but you must go on,
there is still much for you to do,
I just wanted you to know , before I left,
that I always knew it was you.”
So, again he must walk through the valley of the mind,
past today, into tomorrow,
still hoping that someday he will find
the one thing that will take away his sorrow.
 
VII
 
Death had come once again and the animal had been fed.
But, he had to remind himself, she wasn’t really dead.
The body that she had worn with such dignity and grace,
had been returned to Mother Earth
and she had gone to another time and place.
But, standing on that lonely hillside that knowledge did little to dull the pain
and he begin to wonder if he could face losing her again.
But for now he must turn from the past and walk toward tomorrow,
he must do what had to be done in spite of his personal sorrow.
He threw himself completely into the task at hand
and that was to try to help his People keep their land.
So many treaties had been broken, so many lies had been told,
and now the word had come that on Indian land they had found gold!
Soon it became apparent, to late they realized,
that it didn’t matter to the “whites” that the Indians were “civilized.”
The invaders were going to have what they had always sought,
even if they had to steal what couldn’t be bought.
Laws were passed that took away what few rights the People had,
and the federal government sent soldiers to enforce the Removal plan.
But still he, and others, with the government begged and pleaded,
but their cries for justice as always went unheeded.
Then one night as he and his family were sitting down to eat,
outside the house they heard the sound of marching feet.
The door flew violently open and soldiers begin to shout,
“Hurry up, there’s no time to waste, you’ve got to get out!”
And they were driven from their home with the clothes on their backs
and a few things they were able to stuff in a sack.
They were herded at gun point through the dark, chilly night,
 until they came to a clearing and a heart rending sight,
stretched out before him in the night, not making a single sound,
were hundreds of his People huddled together on the cold, hard ground.
He felt the pain and sorrow of the People in that place
as they were overwhelmed by the uncertainty they faced.
The animal begin to feed as the days went by
as the weak, both young and old, quickly begin to die.
Then as the snow begin to fall, they started their journey west
and with dwindling strength and failing health the warrior did his best,
he sacrificed by giving to others what little food he had to eat,
to a freezing child he gave his coat, to an Elder the shoes off his feet.
And then one night as he lay shivering on the cold, hard ground,
he felt the animal grow near.
And the muffled cries of a thousand souls was the last sound
the weary warrior would hear.
And once again he begin his walk through the valley of the mind,
past today into tomorrow,
wondering if he will ever find
the one thing that will take away his sorrow.
 
VIII
 
Mentally and physically exhausted, he slumped against the tree,
it didn’t seem there was any end in sight to his pain and misery.
For countless years he had searched for her
moving back and forth through time and space,
he was beginning to wonder how much more disappointment he could face.
That he loved her, there was no doubt,
in fact it was stronger than in the beginning,
It was just that it was hard to stay in a fight
when you couldn’t see a chance of winning.
The scars of the battles he had fought covered his body and his soul,
they, and the animal, were beginning to take their toll.
At times like this it seemed so easy to just give up, give in,
to surrender to the sense of hopelessness and let the journey end.
But his heart would tell him he had too much to gain,
that just one look into her eyes would erase all the pain.
Yes, he vowed, he would not quit and no matter how far he had to go,
he was willing to travel however long it took
for just one second of her love to know.
So he would continue to walk through the valley of the mind,
past today into tomorrow,
and he would not stop until he found
the one thing that would take away his sorrow.
 
IX
 
The battlefield was finally silent and the dogs of war were sleeping,
the warrior had seen the animal feed so much,
he could hardly keep from weeping.
The fog, like a blanket, covered the scarred and battered ground,
and what really overwhelmed him was the almost total lack of sound.
As much as he hated the fighting that left so many dead,
it was these quiet moments that he begin to dread.
Huddled in the darkness in this foreign land,
he wondered why once again he was the victim of fate’s fickle hand.
This lifetime had been like all those he had lived before,
he had faithfully walked each new path,
never knowing for sure what life had in store.
So, here he found himself in the summer of 1943
fighting what he hoped was the last war he would ever see.
Nearby his friend stirred in his fitful sleep,
reminding him of the painful secret he had to keep.
They had immediately become good friends that very first night
when they arrived at the place where the Army would teach them to fight.
For long hard weeks they trained and they drilled
being taught that in battle it was kill or be killed.
Then the day came they had at the same time anticipated and dreaded,
their training was done and in three days to the war they would be headed.
“Come home with me.” his friend had said. “And meet my family. “
“I want them all to know the one who has become like a brother to me.”
Because hadn’t thought about her much for what seemed a long, long time,
even though she was always there in the valley of his mind,
 he was not prepared for what happened when he walked through the door,
and once again felt the pain of the curse put on him hundreds of years before.
For standing there, being introduced to him as his best friend’s wife,
was the one thing that could take away the pain and misery from his life.
As he looked into her eyes, and felt her touch upon his hand,
he knew he couldn’t stay there, it was more than he could stand.
He said he had to be somewhere, he would come back if he could,
and just for one brief moment he felt she understood.
For months now they had fought the enemy almost every night and day
And many times he had seen the animal coming, only to veer away.
Lying here in the dark he could see her smile and hear her gentle voice,
But somehow he had to forget her for now, he had no other choice,
For above all else he was a man of honor and integrity,
And he could not change something,
that at least in this lifetime, was not meant to be.
It soon was dawn and the order came to get ready to move out,
He was about to awaken his friend, when he heard a shout,
“INCOMING!” someone yelled as the shells landed nearby,
and he covered his friend with his body as the shrapnel begin to fly.
He felt a sharp pain, that suddenly went away,
and this time, just before dawn, the animal didn’t veer away.
So, once again the warrior is walking
through the valley of the mind, past today into tomorrow.
Still with the hope that he will find
the one thing that will take away his sorrow.
 
X
 
The Beginning
 
He felt that he was born to love her, that he had loved her all his life,
that is why her first rejection cut through his heart like a knife.
It had been a successful hunt and all the Clans had gathered to celebrate
and this time he would have the courage to approach her,
this time he wouldn’t hesitate.
The flames of the fire were dancing in her eyes
and moonbeams caressed her hair.
Yes, he thought, this would be the night that his love for her he would declare.
She turned as he approached her, his courage begin to melt,
but somehow he managed to get the words out and he told her how he felt.
Once they started, his words and emotions poured out like a river
as he told her of all the love and devotion he had to give her.
When finally he paused to take a breath, he realized something was wrong,
for in her eyes he did not see the reaction he had dreamed of for so long.
She looked just like a frightened deer, poised  to run away,
she spoke so quietly that he could barely hear what she had to say.
Even though she respected him and had feelings that were strong,
for her to say she loved him now would be a lie, and that would be wrong.
She left him standing by the fire, but as he watched her walk away,
he knew he could not give up, but would somehow win her love someday.
So that night he begin his walk through the valley of the mind,
past today into tomorrow,
and he wouldn’t stop until he won the love that would take away his sorrow.
 
XI
 
Once again the weary warrior slumped against the tree,
as he remembered back to the way things used to be.
He had finally won her love, and they had been married by the waterfall,
at last he felt his life was complete, with her he had it all.
But now, as he reflected on his pursuit of her through time and space,
he knew there was an unthinkable, unspeakable reality he had to face.
After all that had happened, he begin to realize,
that all the old woman had told him might have been nothing but lies.
Now he had to decide whether to continue what seemed hopeless,
or, surrender to the animal and let both their spirits finally rest.
His love for her was just as strong as it had ever been,
and while there was a shred of hope, he knew his journey could not end.
So, he would continue to walk through the valley of the mind,
past today into tomorrow,
still hoping one day he would find
the one thing that would take away his sorrow.
 
XII
 
Surrounded by the mist and haze
he struggled toward the light.
Although his body was very weak,
his spirit found the strength to fight.
He didn’t know how long he had been
in that dark and distant place,
how long it had been since he had tasted the rain
and felt the Sun upon his face.
He had almost given up the pursuit
of the only thing that mattered,
he had crawled off to die like a wounded animal
his body and spirit torn and tattered.
But then in that lonely place
his mind free of sight and sound,
he realized he had to go on
until what he had lost was found.
So, shaking off his stupor,
and mustering all the strength he could find,
once again he began to walk
through the valley of the mind,
past today into tomorrow,
determined not to stop until he found
the one thing that would take away his sorrow.
 
 
XIII

Drifting through the shadows of yesterday,
into the sunlight of tomorrow,
the Traveler prepared to face
whatever the future held,
whether it be pain or sorrow.
He had lost all sense of time and place,
his senses numbed by the constant pain
of having his hopes raised, only to be crushed again.
But still he struggled on through the fog
of hopelessness and despair,
driven on by the memory
of the love that they once shared.
So, on he had traveled though the valley of the mind,
past today into tomorrow,
still seeking the only one
that could take away his sorrow.

This time he was not surprised
by the surprise that fate had prepared.
This time he almost expected
to turn around and find her there.
But still he hesitated,
already he could feel the pain
that came with knowing that what he had found
he would probably lose again.
Then through the pain and confusion,
through the heartache and sorrow,
he realized if he walked away from today
there might not be a tomorrow.
Now, today, he was so glad,
He had listened to his heart
and not his mind.
For finally today he found
what he almost given up hope
that he would ever find.



From the very first he had hated the city
with it’s, traffic, crime and noise,
but when and where fate would take him
he never had a choice.
He had almost given up hope
that this day would ever come,
in fact his despair had turned him
into a homeless, drunken bum.
For more years than he could remember
he had roamed the city streets
never knowing where he was going to sleep
or when he was going to eat.
He begged and stole what he could
to buy something to drink
and at first the more alcohol he consumed
the less of her he would think.
But soon he found out that
the escape he was looking for,
he would never find,
because no matter how far
into the bottle he crawled
he couldn’t wash her out of his mind.
The years had all melted together
as he roamed the streets of the city.
Most of those he passed looked at him with disgust,
while a few looked at him with pity.
It had been a stranger’s hand of compassion
that lifted him from the gutter of despair.
It had been the same stranger’s words
that made him start to care,
to care about life
with it’s losses and gains,
to care about love
with it’s pleasures and pains.

He awoke one morning,
about four weeks ago,
with a feeling he had thought
he would never again know,
She was here, he sensed her presence so strong,
so he had began to search for her
in the great faceless throng.
For the past week he had been drawn to a particular place,
where he waited, in hope that he might hear her voice,
or get a glimpse of her face.
So here he stood on a sunny day in September,
when he heard a sound he would always remember,
above the din of a thousand voices
and the noise of the busy street
he heard a sound that made his spirit rejoice
and his heart to miss a beat.
Though each time so many things were different,
her body, her age, her face, her hair,
her voice was the one thing that was constant
by which he always knew she was there.
He followed her voice
through the canyon of concrete and steel
then she disappeared through the building’s glass doors,
but he wouldn’t give up, he would find her
even if he had to search everyone of the building’s floor.
He didn’t know how long he had searched,
or what floor he was on,
when he felt the building tremble and shake,
and around him the walls began to crumble
and the windows began to break.
He heard the screams of a thousand souls
and the smoke from the fire filled his eyes.
Then through all the noise and confusion
he heard one single cry.
She was here, somewhere in the tangled mass
of concrete and steel,
his eyes blinded by the smoke,
his body battered and bleeding,
crawled toward her cries for help
his own pain unheeding.
It seemed like hours instead of minutes
that he searched on his hands and knees
and just when he thought his lungs would burst
the smoke cleared enough for him to see,
a hand reaching out for someone to grasp
for someone to pull her free.
Then through the smoke he saw
a flicker of recognition in her eyes,
but as he reached out to grasp her hand
death fell from the sky.
****************************************************

He had learned long ago not to wonder why,
but only where or when,
for just when he thought it might be over,
his journey would start again.
But for now, once again,
He could only wait and keep his love for her
strong in his heart
and continue to hope that maybe the next time
would be the last time they would have to part.
But until then
on he would walk through the valley of the mind,
past today, into tomorrow,
still hoping someday he would find
the one that would take away his sorrow.


 XIV
The beast slept soundly,
it's appetite temporarily sated,
by the horrible feast that man had created.
Once again on the battlefield that day
man's inhumanity to man had been fully displayed.
The scenes of the day
flashed vividly in his mind,
as his body desperately sought
the rest it never seemed to find.
Like a shroud, silence hung heavy in the night,
as those who had, at least for now,
escaped the jaws of the beast,
awaited with dread, the dawn’s first light.
So often in times like this
his mind looked for answers it couldn’t find
but now instead of answers
it was the questions that eluded his mind.
He knew why he was here
and exactly what he was looking for,
he had known even before
he had walked through the recruiter’s door.
He had known he had to go some place
where the beast was free and strong,
where maybe he could find the peace
he had wanted for so long.
Somehow he felt if he could just go somewhere
where there was little chance for her to be
maybe if it were just him and the beast
then he might have a chance to be free.
Though the thought of never seeing her again
was enough to almost drive him insane,
he knew that in going on
there was nothing to be gained.
For almost two years now
he had trudged through the mud and blood,
each day he had thought would be his last
and his journey would be over for good.
But each day turned into another
and each day was like the one before.
As the beast gorged itself
on the victims of another senseless war.
With bloodshot eyes
he watched the breaking of the dawn
hoping that the coming battle
might be his final one.
“Move out,” the order came
passing down the line,
he hadn’t gone over 20 feet
when he stepped on the mine.
For an undeterminable period of time
his body seemed to float through the air,
and he remembers wondering
if, when he when he landed,
would the beast be there?
For a long time he hadn’t sensed her presence
or heard her voice
and in his last seconds of awareness
he wondered if he had made the right choice.
It may have been days, it may have been weeks
that he fought through the maze of pain
from time to time he had briefly surfaced
before the medications had plunged him under again.
As he awoke he could sense people moving around
but what overwhelmed him was the total absence of sound,
it took a while, but with paper and pen
they broke the news to him,
that he would never walk or hear again.
Now, here he sat , months later
resolved to his fate
staring at the sunset, wondering how long
he would have to wait.
They had done all they could
to improve his quality of life
and he had become more determined
to continue the search for his wife.
Trapped in a cocoon of silence,
Questioning his choice,
He could feel the hand on his shoulder,
But he couldn’t hear her voice.
So, as he walked through the valley of the mind,
past today into tomorrow,
he had no way of knowing
that the one they had sent to care for him,
was the one who could take away his sorrow.