Poem-A-Day: The Thanksgivings by Harriet Maxwell Converse

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The Thanksgivings by Harriet Maxwell Converse Translated from a traditional Iroquois prayer    We who are here present thank the Great Spirit that we    are here to praise Him. We thank Him that He has created men and women,     and ordered that these beings shall always be     living to multiply the earth. We thank Him for making the earth and giving these     beings its products to live on. We thank Him for the water that comes out of the earth     and runs for our lands. We thank Him for all the animals on the earth. We thank Him for certain timbers that grow and have     fluids coming from them for us all. We thank Him for the branches of the trees that grow     shadows for our shelter. We thank Him for the beings that come from the west,     the thunder and lightning that water the earth. We thank Him for the light which we call our oldest     brother, the sun that works for our good. We thank Him for all the fruits that grow on the trees     and vines. We thank Him for his goodness in making the forests,     and thank all its trees. We thank Him for the darkness that gives us rest, and     for the kind Being of the darkness that gives us light,     the moon. We thank Him for the bright spots in the skies that give     us signs, the stars. We give Him thanks for our supporters, who had charge     of our harvests. We give thanks that the voice of the Great Spirit can     still be heard through the words of Ga-ne-o-di-o. We thank the Great Spirit that we have the privilege of     this pleasant occasion. We give thanks for the persons who can sing the Great Spirit's music, and hope they will be privileged to     continue in his faith. We thank the Great Spirit for all the persons who     perform the ceremonies on this occasion.   Today's poem is in the public domain.  About this poem: In September of 1891, Converse became the first white woman ever condoled as a Six Nations Chief.  Work by Converse The Iroquois Silver Brooches November 22, 2012 Harriet Maxwell was born in 1836 in Elmira, New York. She is the author of Myths and Legends of the New York State Iroquois. Related Poems Lift Every Voice and Sing by James Weldon Johnson Thanks by W. S. Merwin A List of Praises by Anne Porter Poem-A-Day started as a National Poetry Month program in 2006, delivering daily poems from newly-published poetry titles.   Due to popular demand, Poem-A-Day became a year-round program in 2010, featuring original, never-before-published poems by contemporary poets on weekdays, and classic poems on weekends.   Browse the Poem-A-Day archive for selections since 2010.  Thanks for being a part of the Academy of American Poets community. To learn about other programs, including National Poetry Month, Poem In Your Pocket Day, the annual Poets Forum, and more, visit Poets.org.

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