'The old remember; the young listen'

 

“If the very old will remember, the very young will listen.” – Chief Dan George

 

 Born in British Columbia in the last week of July in 1899, First Nation actor, poet and author George is perhaps best-known for his semi-autobiographical book My Heart Soars, a line he also frequently uttered in the movie Little Big Man.   George authored many books, poems and songs, and for Saturday's Poem, here is his thoughtful,

                                      To A Grandchild

Heed the days
when the rain flows freely,
in their greyness
lies the seed of much thought
The sky hangs low
and paints new colors
on the earth.
 
After the rain
the grass will shed its moisture,
the fog will lift from the trees,
a new light will brighten the sky
and play in the drops
that hang on all things.
Your heart will beat out
a new gladness
- if you let it happen.
 
In the midst of a land
without silence
you have to make a place for yourself.
Those who have worn out
their shoes many times
know where to step.
It is not their shoes
you can wear
only their footsteps
you may follow,
- if you let it happen.