Kirk Lumpkin – Here Before
This poem by a San Fancisco Bay Area poet is dedicated to those who oppose the start of the forced removal of Brazilian indigenous peoples that have lived in harmony with a healthy ecosystem for thousands of years.
In the same way it once happened in California, they are being cleared off the land so greedy settlers can build another ‘civilization.’
Please do all you can to put a stop to the Belo Monte dam! Start by going here.
Grizzly lived here
before my people came
Grizzly lived here
before my people
And the way that they lived,
the way that they lived
They could’ve lived that way forever
They could’ve lived that way forever
Here
here on the brink of the world
here on the brink of the world
Salmon lived here
before my people came
Salmon lived here
before my people
And the way that they lived,
the way that they lived
They could’ve lived that way forever
They could’ve lived that way forever
Here
here on the brink of the world
here on the brink of the world
Cougar lived here
before my people came
Cougar lived here
before my people
And the way that they lived,
the way that they lived
They could’ve lived that way forever
They could’ve lived that way forever
Here
here on the brink of the world
here on the brink of the world
People lived here
before my people came
People lived here
before my people
And the way that they lived,
the way that they lived
They could’ve lived that way forever
They could’ve lived that way forever
Here
here on the brink of the world
here on the brink of the world
Kirk Lumpkin
Dec.-Jan. 2001 Earth First!
Date: March 5, 2012
Categories: Kirk Lumpkin