Kineebigag, Snakes

By Lois Beardslee
Excerpted from Lois Beardslee’s forthcoming book of poetry titled We Live Here. Past excerpts by Beardslee in the Glen Arbor Sun are from Not Far Away, The Real Life Adventures of Ima Pipiig (AltaMira Press), which is due out in September.
That was a difficult conversation
The one that Niinooko had with the snake.
“Waatebgaagiizis.” Snake kept sayin’
Days getting shorter.

Trees saying goodbye to the summer.
The patch of sunshine
on this north slope is now so small
That this snake
Is forced to converse
With Indian women
And small Indian boys
Who are more than willing
To share the brief warmth
Of autumn spiraling
Into winter’s sleep.
And Kinebig asked Niinoko
Which one is going to survive
Here
Absorbing
The dwindling resource.
And the old lady
Told the snake
It’s OK
We’re both
Going to make it.
And for a little while
I thought she was talking to me.