163 Bell Street, Box 57081, Ottawa ON K1R 7E1 Canada info@crowecreations.ca 613-220-5050
The Warrior Within: Poetic Teachings of Spirit, Healing, and Revival
by Christopher Herodier Snowboy
CONTENTS
Fly with the Winds
Warriors
Warrior
Walk Proud
Schools of Shame
The Loving Spirit
Spiritual Awakening
Angel of Hope
Twinkle Little Star
True Friends
The Peoples of the Ice and Snow
Spirit Power
Self Commandments
Find Yourself
Nobody Can Say You Are Not Trying
Mommy
The Creator Instructed . . .
Melissa
In the Eyes of Maggie
Echoes of the Drum
Fight Back
You’ll Never Take Away Our Spirits
Friendship
Lost Souls
Music
Live with a Passion
I Am Your Son
Respect
Sibi
Private Property
Oh Canada, Oh USA!
Dudley
Fly Like the Eagle
Pride
My Journey of Hope
No Mountain Is Too High to Climb
Homeless
Little Steps
God’s Children
Are You Ready?
Indian
I Found
You Can Do It
People Who Care
Living Courage
Listen to Your Heart
Your Reward Awaits You
Flying
Fighting Spirit
Courage
Creator, Make Me Stronger
The Shining Star
Freedom
You
In any situation, what you want to happen can happen; where you want to go, you can go; or what you want to be, you can be. It’s up to you alone to work toward that direction. Never say “I can’t.” You might surprise yourself with what you are capable of achieving if you put your mind into what you wish out of life. Take chances. We wouldn’t be here today if our forefathers hadn’t taken chances. Life is all about taking chances.
Fly with the Winds
You are free to fly
in any direction you choose.
Love life
pursue your dreams.
Happiness is inside you.
Love yourself.
Take care of yourself.
You count.
The Creator loves you.
You are the gift.
To change for the better
spread your wings and
fly with the winds.
Land where it counts.
Your reward
a life
full of happiness and joy
awaits you.
Warriors go through great sacrifices for the people they represent, whether manning barricades or battling in the Courts for the Peoples’ rights. Blood is usually no longer spilled. Some warriors sacrifice to study, or to go into the spiritual realms to seek guidance. Some die prematurely, some get sick. Most do not receive the recognition they deserve. New warriors are born every day. They will show us who we are.
Warriors
Warriors.
Wall of strength.
Protectors of the Peoples
the animals
the land.
Providers for
their families
their Nations.
Seekers
of strength
through visions,
education.
Warriors.
Proud.
Ready
to die
to protect
to sacrifice
to seek
justice.
Respected.
Warriors in
Spirit with
Hope
through Life or Death
born to protect
the First Nations of Turtle Island.
Warriors
for peace
for justice
for Nationhood
for understanding
for the rights of the Peoples.
Warriors.
Believers in
Creation.
Protectors.
Caretakers.
Warriors with
Will
Strength
Justice
Equality on
Turtle Island.
Until there is no sunshine.
Warrior
within each of us.
Warriors.
They are here, walking with us.
Living with us
crying with us
for they were born to protect the Nations.
Carrie will always be special in my life for she never gave up on me. She encouraged me to seek help, to develop the gifts that she saw I was given. She did get frustrated with me at times, but only because I was on her case, breaking the rules that were established in the Aboriginal Drop-In she ran in Ottawa. I will always be grateful to her for not giving up on me, or giving into my ways of feeling sorry for myself. She did what she did for me for she cared and loved me in her heart, in her way.
Angel of Hope
Every day seemed like the end of the world.
Wished it was.
It might as well be.
I thought.
Nothing could be more painful
than what I was experiencing.
I thought.
Deep in the darkness of addictions
into the thoughts of suicide
Hell on earth
it was truly surreal.
Loneliness had become truly real
this time.
There was nobody to love
each morning
anymore.
They had all abandoned me.
I thought.
Blamed anybody
and everybody
except myself.
Struggled with my addictions
truly alone
in my depression.
Why?
Why did they not help me?
Wait for me to get better?
Why are they torturing me with my shame?
Why do they not see through my mistakes?
Why can they not see
my traumatic past
is coming out?
It was real.
The symptoms had never come out
so strong
so dramatically
before.
Why me?
Asked myself.
Always my question.
This can never happen
to me.
I thought.
Whoa.
What is going on?
This is real, man.
Wake up! It is only a dream, man.
At any time
I was about to lose it.
That
or kill myself
before I got there.
Relief to me came
in only one way.
My escape
the lonely
but acceptable
bottle.
My savior
escape
truth
reality
for minutes, hours, days . . .
The only way I knew
relief came fast.
As each day passed
the loneliness
the misery
the insomnia
the nightmares
more prevalent.
Scary.
Then
she
was there.
An angel who made me believe
I had a better future
to build
a better life
starting from the bottom.
In her own words
I mattered.
I had talents
she saw
love
I could share
with others
become an inspiration
to many
like me.
She became
more real.
Before
I had not listened
to anybody
tried not to.
She showed me
she cared
gave me support
tried to pass her message
into my sometimes dazed
wounded mind
tolerated my weaknesses
to a point.
She told me
I needed to get up
when I fell down
face my realities
deal with them
start taking care of myself
seek help
help that I really needed.
She had an impact
on my solitary lifestyle
of addiction.
She brought me home
to my Native roots
where I found belonging
where I found acceptance
where I found true friends.
The Spirit of my Angel of Hope
had struck me
where she wanted to
in my heart.
Maybe she saved my life
for I was slowly dying
slowly but surely in the way I was going.
She was truly my Angel
sent from Heaven.
She opened my eyes to new hope and faith
she gave me the strength and courage to accept
and face
my realities
help myself
move on
get clean
seek my destiny
live again.
Angels are everywhere if you look
and never give up.
You will find your own Angel
to help you change your life today
or tomorrow.
I thank my Angel.
She was there when I needed her.
I am truly grateful for her
my Angel of Hope.
Carrie.
She carried me on her shoulders when I could not walk.
(c) Christopher Herodier Snowboy, 2010. Published by Crowe Creations. Available at the store.
CROWE CREATIONS 163 Bell Street, Box 57081, Ottawa ON K1R 7E1 Canada info@crowecreations.ca 613-220-5050
