kwe is barefoot on the cement floor
singing to a warehouse
of stolen canoes
bruised bodies
dry skin
hurt ribs
dehydrated rage
akiwenzie says, “it’s canoe jail”
the white skin of a tree is for slicing and feeling
and peeling and rolling and cutting and sewing
and pitching and floating and travelling
akiwenzie says “oh you’re so proud of your collection
of ndns. good job zhaganash,
good job”
kwe is praying to those old ones by dipping her fingers
into a plastic bottle of water
and rubbing the drops on the spine of each canoe
soft words
wet fingers
wet backs
akiwenzie and kwe are looking each canoe in the eye
one whispers back, “take the young one and run”
kwe looks at akiwenzie
akiwenzie takes the sage over to the
security guard and teaches him how to
smudge the canoe bodies. fake cop is basking in guilt free importance.
kwe takes the young one off the rack,
and onto her shoulders
she puts Her in the
flat bed and drives to Chemong
she pulls Her out into the middle of the lake
sinks her with 7 stones
just enough to
fill Her with lake and
suspended Her in wet
kwe sings the song
and She sings back
bruised bodies
dry skin
hurt ribs
dehydrated rage
kwe sings the song
and She sings back
akiwenzie means old man, zhaganash are white people, kwe means woman in Anishinaabemowin or Ojibwe