Sequoia's winters were sixteen silent tongue spirit clean
|
He walked at his father's side
|
Across the smoking battle ground where red and white men lay all around
|
So many here had died
|
The wind had scattered around snow white leaves upon the ground
|
Not leaves like leaves from trees
|
Sequoia said what can this be what's the strange thing here I see
|
From where come leaves like these
|
Sequoia turned to his father's eyes and he said father you're wise
|
From where come such snow white leaves
|
With such strange marks upon these squares
|
Not even the wise owl could put them there
|
So strange these snow white leaves
|
His father shielding his concern resenting the knowledge Sequoia yearned
|
Crumbled the snow white leaves
|
He said when I explain then it's done these are talking leaves my son
|
The white men's talking leaves
|
The white man takes a berry of black and red
|
And an eagle's feather from the eagle's bed
|
And he makes bird track marks
|
And the marks on the leaves they say carry messages to his brother far away
|
And his brother knows what's in his heart
|
They see these marks and they understand the truth in the heart of the far off man
|
The enemies can't hear them
|
Said Sequoia's father son they weave bad medicine on these talking leaves
|
Leave such things to them
|
Then Sequoia walking lightly followed his father quietly but so amazed was he
|
If the white man talks on leaves why not the Cherokee
|
Vanished from his father's face Sequoia went from place to place
|
But he could not forget
|
Year after year he worked on and on till finally he cut into stone
|
The Cherokee alphabet
|
Sequoia's hair by now was white his eyes began to lose their light
|
But he taught all who would believe
|
That the Indian's thoughts could be written down
|
Just as the white men's there on the ground and he left us these talking leaves
|
|
-----------------
|
The Talking Leaves
|
| Johnny Cash |
