A young maiden walks into a room,
Her eyes beam of laughter and joy,
Her smile shows complete happiness,
Laughter fills the air with jokes she tells,
Maybe all we need is a good laugh,
Thats not funny, dont laugh they say,
She dont understand hardship the people say,
She has never been through tough times,
She has never suffered,
She dont understand,
Appearances are so deceiving,
Feeling has power understand
Her heart weeps for her people,
Genocide is in her blood,
Flowing in her veins
Water from the Damned Missouri,
Blood from the Long Walk,
All combined to form the mainstream,
A stream turns to a river to a flood,
Washes a way her people, and family,
Debris lingers as a reminder of loss times,
Loneliness for a once upon a time family,
Struggles on the path she must take,
So much truth hidden from all but the maiden,
Each night tears of her ancestors flow down her cheeks,
Heartache years, generations and century old linger,
Tunkashila, Wakan Tanka take pity on my people,
She prays and cried for her people to live,
No one feels this pain no one sees this struggle,
All is lost in a smile.This is who I am. -Zinkta Duta Win
