~

So different this New Man,

the Blue Man,

the Dragoons of Kearny,

I see him though he, not see me.

~

The Navajo know,

although not there,

I can see

and I hear

everywhere.

~

From my lofty perch

up high in the air

one need not search

to know I am there,

~

the Seer that sees

all that below –

nothing escapes

what I need to know.

~

I know what is,

and all that has been.

for I am the Seer,

for the Navajo.

~

Listen! and I’ll tell you,

then you too shall know

how Narbona

let the New Man go.

~

The New Man,

the Blue Man,

the Dragoons of Kearny,

the Bilagaana,

the pale face

that comes to Dinetah.

~

Thirty there came,

thirty on horse,

over terrain,

a mighty small force

~

in search of the man

– Any Man! –

the first man,

the last man,

anyone can,

of the Dineh do,

on the Navajo land.

~

Who are these men?

such brazen men!

filled with the valor

of the very un-wise?

~

No one – Not one! –

has dared heretofore

to seek out

the Navajo warrior.

~

This envoy it seeks

to plead and entreats,

to treaty of peace

with the warrior –

~

The Dineh of Dinetah!

~

I see them come,

I see them flow,

o’er the sands

of New Mexico.

~

They ride, and they glide,

upon horse and ferry

their small horde

ignoring all chary.

~

Make contact! Be speedy!

seek out and entreaty,

a captain named Reid

and the Lords of Temerity.

~

A dangerous foray,

this New Man envoy.

To enter Dinetah

takes much of bravada.

~

With no known direction

each risks his own life

to total destruction,

by the Navajo knife.

~

Three days in riding,

the Navajo hiding –

watching,

following,

abiding.

~

Three days and counting,

Dineh come then mounting

their horse

in perforce

to enforce

Reputation!

~

And Reid thus then speaks

that he wishes to meet

with the chief

of the Navajo nation,

~

to seek out a peace

– and to ensure their release! –

To the tribe

Reid appears

bonafide.

~

Another day’s ride,

further inside

the Dinetah

to see the man,

Narbona.

~

And thus did they go

with the Navajo,

leading the New Man

in circles.

~

And by hundreds

they grew!

about Thirty so few,

the Bilagaana

until Narbona

would show.

~

How strange

is this meeting

of possible foe –

the Bilagaana

and the Navajo.

~

The Spaniards,

the Mexicans,

– even Pueblo –

the Old Men,

the Navajo,

know.

~

Still strange,

this New Man,

his temerity shows!

that now,

for Dineh,

curiosity grows.

~

The New Man comes hither

to usurp a role,

but the New Man

doesn’t know

the Navajo soul.

~

Two cultures to meet

the first time, forever –

Dragoons in blue,

some wore their leather.

~

The Navajo comes

to satisfy eyes,

for the New Man’s

new habits

and new ways,

surprise.

~

Much organization

and stratification,

seem strange

to the Navajo nation.

~

Such irreligion

against Creation –

the act of hubris

to distinguish oneself

apart from all else.

~

To extinguish,

divide,

and otherwise

hide

from the Plan,

this New Man,

still must abide.

~

Such hubris,

such mystery,

such superiority show

this New Man

to the Navajo.

~

Oh! the effrontery!

audacious temerity

of this New Man

to New Mexico.

The Bilagaana,

The Dineh,

must now

need know.

~

Great, their surprise

to see on the rise

Narbona ride into view.

~

They did not know

– the Navajo –

nor the Dragoons,

dressed in their blue,

that Narbona would come,

when the New Man begun

to consider his own

a demise.

~

But the Navajo knew

just what they would do –

take Bilagaana out,

by surprise!

~

The Dineh knew him old,

respected and bold,

but the New Man

just saw him as ill.

~

At eighty five years

Narbona had still

a reverence that nears

to perfection.

~

His size and his age,

not alone made him sage,

but also did Natural Selection.

~

But the New Man mistakes

by holding beliefs

that the Navajo like

others have chiefs.

~

A clan-like system,

each leader, familial,

‘round matriarch women

each clan forms an axial.

~

A man may prove eager

and thus become leader,

but with fealty

comes realty,

success.

~

But the Dineh must eschew

all excess.

~

To share with the clan

will make a male, man –

an evil, a Vei,

the other way.

~

Narbona, however,

made his respect

as a sage

through his age,

circumspect.

~

And New Man is quiet,

afraid to come near.

We see what small valor

escapes from all fear.

~

There is much such seen

that goes all around,

when they sit

to co-mingle

down on the ground.

~

I, from my perch-top,

where I can espy,

can see all that happens

from keen sight of eye.

~

First! I see Fear

from all the Blue Men,

getting acquainted

to the new Indian.

~

On his part, Narbona,

and all of his people,

of curious nature

are cautiously heedful.

~

Both sides aloof,

under starry skied roof;

but I, from above,

give Narbona his proof

that all will go well,

for this he can tell

by the feather I lent him,

as one from my tail.

~

The unknowing glowing

from Captain Reid’s heart,

showing and growing

beginning from start.

~

They arrange themselves

in high profile posture –

fear to be conquered,

it first must be mastered!

~

And the women have come!

they ride their own horse.

In their Navajo tongue

they encourage, enforce

their own to Rise Up!

~

Their force is but small,

their strength, just as well.

Overpower them all,

this New Man of Evil.

~

Narbona then calms

the outburst of qualms.

A wise man,

this Narbona,

to be.

~

For he knows all their strength

is of much greater length,

that the New Man,

the Blue Man,

not a tenth of their army.

~

And they will return,

comeback and burn,

attack all and sack whole

of Dineh.

~

Such, is the strength

of Bilagaana’s big army.

Be calmed, be balanced.

Deny, Dineh, all heresy!

~

Changing Woman

has brought us a test

to choose the path

which is best.

~

Let us hear now

What this New Man

may say.

~

Narbona thus speaks

for he only seeks Peace

and a Balance,

as belief

of his people.

~

Narbona, so old,

is showing he’s tired

from the decades bemired

in the War Dance

no longer desired.

~

He is ken to the power

this Bluecoat can shower

on the clans of all Dineh.

~

Bilagaana is here

in peace, it is clear.

Let the New Man

have his own

piece to say.

~

There is time for the War Dance,

time now, for the Peace Chants.

He seeks to entreat

for the permanent peace.

Give him no harm,

only charm

from Dineh.

~

Agreement then reaches

to meet at the beaches

of Bear Springs,

two weeks from date.

~

And there, to create

and hope that the hate

and the fighting

that’s fated

and afflicted

his people

~

will at long last abate

with a permanent Peace,

but if not, surcease

last enough

that as much

should be ample.

~

I watch what transpires

from my airy tower,

and a Goodwill

takes the Chill

from the fires.

~

Thus,

at this time,

at this place, at this clime,

two races

face-to-face

encounter

~

where ne’er the twain

will e’er be the same thing,

e’er and forevermore

once again.

~

And I, for my part,

I have to report

that Narbona,

there and then

he did start

~

the change

Changing Woman

had him impart

for the New Man,

the Bilagaana

of New Mexico.

~

And Narbona

let the New Man

go!

.

.

.

.

[Revised 01 March 2012]

Copyright © 2012 Marvin Loyd Welborn. All Rights Reserved.