by Harlee Stokes, Pablo 4th Grade (2014)
This poem was read at a MWC Reading in Pablo, MT on Nov. 19, 2015 in English and Salish
My poems hide in a
music box waiting to be
wound up to play its
beautiful music. It tries
to send messages in music
to get me to understand.
It dances inside me trying
to get my attention, but it
doesn’t work. It is wondering
how to get my attention.
There is a poem in my
pocket that will never
show itself. It has always
been shy. The world may
never see my poem. Maybe
my poems should never be seen
There is a poem hiding in my
heart, pounding hard and keeping
me alive. It keeps telling me,
“Always remember, you live to
write. Never give up!” So, I will
never give up. I will always live.
L̓ šey u wekwis
In sc̓aw̓aw̓ wekʷis l̓
Qʷelm č̓lukʷc̓e nemtewsís
Xʷl čtaxʷle nxscín qʷelm u
Mipnuntxʷ. L̓ niłtełc̓e u
Kʷeymncút xʷl es nté I
qs wičstm, p̓n tas meyełt.
Es kʷłpax̣ntem tl̓ stem u qʷo
X̣litís. Ep sc̓ʔawʔaw l̓
U ta nem čtiqʷ. Milkʷ u
C̓ešmi. xʷa ta pistem čmilkʷmulexʷ
Nem wiʔičis łu I sc̓ʔawʔaw. Xʷa wé ta
Pistem I sc̓ʔawʔaw čtiqʷ.
Ep sc̓ʔawʔaw u wekʷís l̓ I spús,
Yiʔilkʷm u qʷo xʷlxʷil̓t. milkʷ u qʷo
Cúis, “ta qs tam ta nłeptmntxʷ kʷ
Xʷlxʷilt xʷl qeyntexʷ.” Tap kʷ es čmsq̓nmíst.
Kʷemt ta čis čmsqnmíist. Nem I qs xʷlxʷiltm.