Jennifer Reeser

Acoma Pueblo Song for a New Chief

Has some new chief arisen for the year,

Somewhere within a village of the east?

This is what I say, my people. Hear.

Out of the northern sky, the rains are hurled.

Out of the western heavens, water streams,

Along the currents, floods are curled.

Lightning down towards the east arrives,

Down the lightning comes, and strikes the earth.

All of us are gifted with our lives.

Chief, understand that for this gift of rain,

You must take care of, love the earth and skies.

We all receive the rainfall with its gain.

To care about the people is your task.

This is the duty, Chief, for which we ask.

Now from the southern vista, rainfall gleams.

Now from the eastern vista, water streams,

Towards the west, before the rocky spikes,

From there towards the west, the lightning strikes.

The harvest of the crops is for us all.

See here, the harvest table.

With this, you will be able

To love your people, Chief. This is your call.

The Pool of the Pueblo Gods

The rain gods’ home is lying to the west,

Where old men say their pools of water rest.

Midst the pool of water, one will see

Standing like a ladder, a spruce tree.

The deities of rain draw from this lake

The harvests which are given for our sake.

They lay them where we dance, within the East.

Then up we draw them, full of life, and feast.

Acoma Pueblo Welcomes Back the Gods of Rain

Graciously, the rain gods re-appear,

And to the people bring

Life-giving offerings,

And graciously, Lord Narwish too is here.

Bringing meat, he makes rain fall,

With harvests for us all.

Gold corn kernels mellow,

Ripening to yellow,

Developing the hue

Of ivory and blue.

Jennifer Reeser is the author of seven books of poetry. She is an author with Penguin Random House, London’s “Everyman’s Library” series, and Able Muse. Her poems, translations, essays and critical reviews have appeared internationally in POETRY, The Hudson Review, RATTLE, and elsewhere, with new work forthcoming in Nimrod from the University of Tulsa. She divides her time between her Gulf Coast estate and home on the Cherokee reservation in Indian Country, Oklahoma.