Poetry Magazine
My Dad, in America
Your hand on my jaw
but gently
and that picture of you
punching through snow
to bring two deer, a gopher,
and a magpie
to the old Highwalker woman
who spoke only Cheyenne
and traced our footprints
on leather she later chewed to soften.
We need to know in America there is still blood
for forgiveness.
Dead things for the new day.
Source: Poetry (January 2013).
Biography
Shann Ray's Forgiveness and Power in the Age of Atrocity (Rowman & Littlefield, 2011) is a work of creative nonfiction political theory. His short story collection is American Masculine (Graywolf Press, 2011).
Poem Categorization
SUBJECT Relationships, Family & Ancestors, Nature, Animals, Religion, The Spiritual, Social Commentaries, Race & Ethnicity, War & Conflict
Poetic Terms Free Verse
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