POVERTY OF THE SPIRIT
Poetry by M. Linda Steffey

A Spiritual And Inspirational Poem from All-Creatures.org

On reservations living...
The poorest of the poor
No goals, commitment, confidence
The suicide rate times four!

Like living in a vacuum
By nothing surrounded
To be quitters is expected
Unreliable, shiftless, hounded!

A cycle of poverty
From which few break free
It is more then just a lacking
Food or clothes, you see....

It's poverty of the spirit
A tragedy we cannot hide
On one reservation in ' 85
Eight Indian youth...suicide!

Americans do not recognize
And often misunderstand
The Indians who share our world
Who FIRST lived on this land!

Young Indians turn to alcohol
Take drugs...some violence do..
And when their void's too big to fill
They take their lives, too!...

Sadness fills their beating hearts
Please, God, bless spirits poor
Love with help to lift them up
Like eagles let them soar...

The race of life is hard at best
Great Spirit draw them near...
Fill them with the hope they need
And chase away their fear.....

(c) M. Linda Steffey 1986