Crazy Horse and the Vision of the Crazily Dancing Horse

Crazy Horse and the Vision of the Crazily Dancing Horse

by Michael R. Burch

Tashunka Witko, a Lakota Sioux better known as Crazy Horse, had a vision of a red-tailed hawk and a crazily dancing and floating spirit horse at Sylvan Lake, South Dakota. In his vision he saw himself riding a shadow horse through a storm, as the hawk flew above him, shrieking. When he awoke, a red-tailed hawk was perched near his horse. 

Earthbound,

and yet I now fly

through these clouds that are aimlessly drifting ...

so high

that no sound

echoing by

below where the mountains are lifting

the sky

can be heard.

Like a bird,

but not meek,

like a hawk from a distance regarding its prey,

I will shriek,

not a word,

but a screech,

and my terrible clamor will turn them to clay―

the sheep,

the earthbound.

Published by American Indian Pride and Boston Poetry Magazine

Keywords/Tags: Crazy Horse, Lakota, Sioux, Native American, Translation, Indian, Vision, Quest, Hawk, Eagle, Spirit, Horse, Shadow, Warrior, Curly (his nickname before the vision)