"The trail is long to the bison herd, The prairie rotten with rain, And look! the wings of the thunder bird Blacken the hills again. A medicine man the gods may balk— Go fight for us with the thunder hawk!" The medicine man flung out his arms. "I am weary of woman talk And cook-fire witching and childish charms! I fight you the thunder hawk!" Then he took his arrows and climbed the butte While the warriors watched him, scared and mute. A wind from the wings began to blow And the arrows of rain to shoot, As the medicine man raised high his bow, Standing alone on the butte, And the day went dark to the cowering band As the arrow leaped from his steady hand. For the thunder hawk swooped down to fight And who in his way could stand? The flash of his eye was blinding bright And his wing-clap stunned the land. The braves yelled terror and loosed the rain And scattered far on the drowning plain. So, after the thunder hawk swept by, They found him, scorched and slain, Yet (fighting with gods, who fears to die?) He smiled with a light disdain. That smile was glory to all his clan But none dared touch the medicine man. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE LANDLADY'S DAUGHTER by JOHANN LUDWIG UHLAND NIOBE: INEXORABLE DEATH by AESCHYLUS ON RETURN FROM THE SHORE by HELEN IFFLA BAY SONG, BY -- by JAMES HAY BEATTIE THE ADVERTISING MAN'S LOVE SONG by BERTON BRALEY NOON; FROM AN UNFINISHED POEM by WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT |