I’ve been listening to the lodge of good voices
floating across prairie nights.
Tuning in and turning my heart
catching just a few words.
I’ve been lying beneath a star blanket
thinking about the stars I can’t see.
And the cottonwoods
and the river floods.
I’ve been keeping company with
spirits and memories.
Turning on the fire glass
and padding to the bathroom again.
I’ve been calling out to the deejay in the sky
asking if he’ll take one on the request line.
One that makes it all alright
that takes away self-consciousness.
I’ve been walking toward birdsong
with organs dropping into empty space.
Rubbing my chest with sage
pressing air into the next minute.
I’ve been listening to good voices
floating on prairie winds.
Falling asleep under the comfort of starlight
with Delores in my ear.
Autumn Bernhardt teaches culture and justice courses at Colorado State University. Other work can be found in three anthologies, including Grazing the Fire, Bawaajigan, and Blood, Water, Wind, & Stone, as well as a number of other literary and academic publications. Autumn is a Colorado native of mixed Lakota descent. More can be found @autumnbernhardt on Instagram.
