Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Lance Henson’s "Anniversary Poem for the Cheyennes Who Died at Sand Creek" is a solemn tribute to the victims of the Sand Creek Massacre, an event that stands as one of the darkest moments in U.S. history. On November 29, 1864, a peaceful village of Cheyenne and Arapaho people was brutally attacked by a regiment of the Colorado Territory militia, resulting in the deaths of over 150 Native Americans, most of them women, children, and the elderly. Henson, a Cheyenne poet, employs sparse, evocative language to capture the weight of this historical trauma while also honoring the enduring spirit of his people.

The poem opens with a direct acknowledgment of the passage of time: “when we have come is long way past cold grey fields”. This line suggests that the journey to remembrance is not just a literal movement through space but a symbolic traversal of emotional and historical landscapes. The “cold grey fields” evoke a sense of desolation and loss, possibly referencing the physical site of the massacre or the barren emotional terrain left in its wake. The phrase “long way past” implies that while time has moved on, the pain of the event remains ever-present, lingering beyond the fields into the collective memory of the Cheyenne people.

The next line, “past stone markers etched with the names they left us,” introduces the idea of memorialization. The “stone markers” are likely literal gravestones or memorial plaques, but they also serve as metaphors for the enduring presence of those who were lost. The fact that the markers are “etched with the names they left us” highlights the significance of names as a means of preserving identity and history. In many Native cultures, names carry deep spiritual and cultural meaning, and to remember the names of the dead is to honor their lives and ensure they are not forgotten. The line suggests that the journey of remembrance is not complete until these names are spoken and acknowledged.

Henson then shifts from the physical landscape to a more intimate, spiritual engagement with the environment: “we will speak for the first time to the season / to the ponds touching the dead grass.” This moment of speaking “for the first time” suggests a reclaiming of voice and agency, perhaps after generations of silence or suppression. The “season” and “ponds” are personified as witnesses to the massacre, their natural cycles continuing even as human lives were violently interrupted. The image of “ponds touching the dead grass” evokes a sense of gentle, almost tender interaction with the landscape, contrasting sharply with the violence of the massacre. It suggests that nature, unlike human aggressors, holds space for memory and healing.

The final line, “our voices the colour of watching,” is both enigmatic and profoundly resonant. By describing their voices as having the “colour of watching,” Henson blurs the boundaries between sensory experiences, merging sight and sound in a synesthetic metaphor. This phrase suggests that their voices are not just expressions of speech but embodiments of observation, reflection, and witness. To watch is to bear witness, and in this context, their voices become a testament to both the tragedy of Sand Creek and the resilience of the Cheyenne people. The use of colour implies that this witnessing is vivid and alive, even if it stems from pain.

Structurally, the poem is minimalist, reflecting Henson’s signature style, which draws from traditional Cheyenne poetic forms and values. The absence of punctuation and the careful, deliberate placement of words create a meditative rhythm that invites the reader to pause and reflect on each phrase. This sparse style mirrors the starkness of the historical event it commemorates, allowing the weight of each word to resonate deeply.

Henson’s use of natural imagery—fields, stone markers, ponds, dead grass—connects the human experience of grief to the broader cycles of the natural world. This connection reflects a traditional Indigenous worldview in which the land is not just a backdrop to human activity but an active participant in the life of the community. By speaking “to the season” and allowing their voices to become “the colour of watching,” the Cheyenne survivors and their descendants integrate their grief and remembrance into the fabric of the natural world, ensuring that the land itself carries the memory of those who died.

At its core, "Anniversary Poem for the Cheyennes Who Died at Sand Creek" is a meditation on memory, loss, and the enduring power of voice. While the poem acknowledges the deep wounds left by the massacre, it also affirms the resilience of the Cheyenne people in their ability to remember, to speak, and to witness. The poem serves as both a eulogy for the dead and a call to the living to continue honoring their legacy.

Through its evocative imagery and restrained language, Henson’s poem underscores the importance of remembrance in the face of historical violence. It reminds us that while time may pass, the responsibility to bear witness remains. In speaking to the land and allowing their voices to carry the “colour of watching,” the Cheyenne people ensure that the tragedy of Sand Creek is neither forgotten nor repeated. This act of remembrance becomes a form of resistance, a way of reclaiming history from the silence imposed by those who sought to erase it.

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