MOONDANCE

MOONDANCE

SHE SITS SO VERY QUIETLY, THINKING BESIDE THE STREAM,

HER LONG, BLACK HAIR SHINING AS THE SUN GLANCES

THROUGH THE LEAVES OF THE GOLDEN BIRCH TREES.

SHE IS IN LOVE WITH A WARRIOR, HE HAS NO IDEA.

MOONDANCE IS THIS MAIDEN'S NAME,

SHE IS OF THE NAVAHO TRIBE.

SHE MAKES JEWELRY AND HAS GOTTEN FAME

FOR HER WONDERFUL DESIGNS.

SHE TRADES THE BEAUTIFUL BAUBLES

FOR FURS AND MIRRORS AND SUCH,

HER JEWELS ARE SO BEAUTIFUL

THEY ARE SOUGHT AFTER VERY MUCH.

YET MOONDANCE'S HEART IS NOT IN HER WORK,

IT IS ON HER WARRIOR FAR AWAY,

SHE THINKS OF HIM CONSTANTLY

AND WONDERS IF HE'LL COME HOME TO STAY.

MOONDANCE IS A BEAUTIFUL MAIDEN,

WITH LONG BLACK HAIR, RATHER LIGHT SKIN,

BLACK EYES, AND A FIGURE TO BEGIN

THE YOUNG BUCK'S HEARTS TO SKIPPING.

THEY APPROACH HER FATHER TO ASK FOR HER HAND,

BUT SHE HAS TOLD HIM THAT SHE HAS ANOTHER MAN

IN HER MIND AND HEART, WAITING FOR HIS RETURN.

THEN HER FATHER WILL APPROACH HIM

AND ASK ABOUT HIS INTENTIONS TOWARD HIS DAUGHTER,

AND FIND IF SHE HAS JUST BEEN DREAMING

OR IF THIS MAN TRULY LOVES HIS MOONDANCE,

OR IF HE DRINKS TOO MUCH FIREWATER.

HE GOES TO HOWLING WOLF, WHICH IS HER WARRIOR'S

NAME, AND TELLS HIM OF HER LOVE FOR HIM,

AND ASKS IF HE FEELS THE VERY SAME

HE TELLS THE FATHER OF MOONDANCE

THAT HE HAS YEARNED FOR HER FOR YEARS,

AND WANTS TO MARRY HER AND ALLAY HER FEARS

ABOUT HIM NOT LOVING HER, FOR HIS LOVE IS TRUE,

AND MOONDANCE IS HIS ONLY LOVE,

AND SHE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE ALONE AND BLUE.

ON HER WEDDING DAY SHE WORE WHITE BUCKSKIN,

HER HAIR WAS ENCIRCLED WITH FLOWERS,

HER HAPPINESS WAS FULL TO OVERFLOWING,

AND SHE HAD BEEN READY FOR HOURS.

HER WARRIOR STEPPED IN FRONT OF THE SHAMAN

TO AWAIT HIS LOVELY BRIDE,

HER HEART BEAT SO WILDLY, SHE HAD TO STAY INSIDE

AND KEEP HIM WAITING UNTIL HER HEART STILLED,

FOR SHE HAD AWAITED THIS VERY DAY

EVER SINCE SHE WAS A TINY GIRL.

SHE HAD GIVEN HER HEART TO HOWLING WOLF,

AND SHE WOULD LOVE HIM FOREVER-MORE.

NOW THE MOON IS DANCING IN THE SKY

AS THE TWO CONSUMMATE THEIR LOVE,

FOR SHE KNEW THAT THE MOON WOULD DANCE

FOR HER WHEN SHE MARRIED HER TRUE LOVE.