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After Wounded Knee This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine.


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You still wear that old war paint
(angry lines slashed above your eyes)
I can feel you waiting for the battle to come
(spikes of red staining your cheeks)
There are no pawing horses now
No painted hands on their haunches
(the number of warrior souls you stole)
No noonday sun beating on bare backs
No smell of sweat and leather and bravery
Puncturing the familiar woodsmoke
(breastplates of porcupine quills, feathers in hair)
No ululations of war, yelling at fear
No singing, no dancing, no tribes, no homes
(scars left from the struggle free from the sun)
Just a drum drum drum beat
(a piece of flesh left for the Great Spirit)
Piercing through dreams.

This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. This piece has been published in Teen Ink’s monthly print magazine.




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This article has 126 comments. Post your own!

curlygurlrayThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
May 2 at 11:51 am:
AMAZING JOB!(:
 
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emilar said...
May 2 at 10:25 am:
This poem was amazing, I love the flash backs of the experience it parenthesis. The similes and verses were good. Keep writing.
 
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LovelessWriter1090This teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
Apr. 10 at 7:23 am:
That's good. I've learned about that and a little of that flows in my veins.
 
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Bookworm1997This teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
Feb. 4 at 10:55 pm:
Great job! I learned about this in school a few months ago.
 
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recurring_resilienceThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
Jan. 13 at 5:54 pm:
Good poem but misplaced I think. Historically in indian history "Wounded Knee" was a massacre in whicn only ONE baby survived.. Did you intend that?
 
recurring_resilienceThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. replied...
Jan. 13 at 5:57 pm :
Sorry I missed the little authors note.
 
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GirlWhoWroteThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
Nov. 8, 2011 at 3:48 pm:
I loved it, very beautifully written. Please check out my work!!!!
 
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sunnyalldayThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
Aug. 12, 2011 at 6:53 pm:
great job! at first I didn't understand the title, but then after reading the author's comment it made a lot more sense :) 
 
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chrissie_starThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
Jul. 21, 2011 at 10:08 am:
 great poem !! do you mind checking out mine? its called "possibilities" tell me what you think :)
 
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ArcaneGhost said...
Apr. 2, 2011 at 10:14 am:
Ha! I usually can't deal with poetry, but I love when things are explained like that in parenthesis. Thumbs up.
 
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IamtheshyStargirlThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
Mar. 11, 2011 at 6:24 pm:

Gorgeous. Just gorgeous.

A whisper on the wind from a soul afraid to speak, for fear of shattering the glass of discovered beauty.

 
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KatnissLupin said...
Mar. 11, 2011 at 6:10 pm:
that's the best poem I've read in a while!
 
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l.ineyThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
Mar. 11, 2011 at 2:33 pm:
This is really good and I love the work you put into it. Your an amazing writer and I would love to have your feedback on some of my pieceson the site! Awesome Poem!
 
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emoticon said...
Feb. 17, 2011 at 5:36 pm:
I thought it was okay I have seen better
 
ArcaneGhost replied...
Apr. 2, 2011 at 10:15 am :
I haven't.
 
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Treckintime said...
Jan. 26, 2011 at 6:28 pm:

I really liked this. A lot of people are saying imagery but it's true the imagery is great. Can you please comment on my work?

 

 
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writerwriting said...
Jan. 26, 2011 at 4:14 pm:
I liked this; you have really good imagery:)
If you have some time, I would love you to check out some of my work on this site.
 
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JakethesnakeThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
Jan. 26, 2011 at 1:50 pm:
This is great! Although I do not know why they called it a ''battle." It was a massacre of unarmed women and children, old and young. We simply hated the Native Americans that much.
 
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zhlenThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. said...
Dec. 13, 2010 at 8:13 pm:

this is really good 

If u hav time can u chk out my wrk

 
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xXvannieXx said...
Nov. 25, 2010 at 2:43 pm:
I loved it! the imagary was very good
 
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MandaPerkins This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. said...
Nov. 21, 2010 at 5:02 pm:
I like the imagery! I find the style of this quite unique. In other words, I love it. :)
 
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NaTivE_BeAutiE This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. said...
Oct. 30, 2010 at 9:41 pm:
oops! wow it posted twice
 
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NaTivE_BeAutiE This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. said...
Oct. 30, 2010 at 9:40 pm:

Nice piece, you're a very talented writer. The imagery was unique and easy to follow. Yet the style and   flow were so complex! Don't let those jealous folks comments pull you down, ;) 

Also, thank you for sharing the harsh yet true time of violation and slaughter of so many innocent men, and mostly women and children.

Many people still think Indian and think: Halloween costume or fictional movie character. But we're still here, still strong, still proud.

... (more »)
 
jazzy16 replied...
Mar. 11, 2011 at 2:50 pm :
 definitly agree. most people write about love or death or school but this poem is different and a nice change-up with important references. keep on writing!
 
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BrokenInnocence said...
Oct. 30, 2010 at 7:47 pm:
It's lovely. I love how you mad it deep and part of the culture of that time with so little words, yet you gave it so much meaning.
 
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marioc said...
Oct. 30, 2010 at 12:40 pm:
dude that was really good man, really enjoyed it.
 
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teenagemutantme said...
Oct. 8, 2010 at 6:36 pm:
It's okay:)
 
Panda500This teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. replied...
Nov. 21, 2010 at 9:51 am :
r u kidding me teenagemutantme its soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... (more »)
 
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IamtheStargirlThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
Oct. 8, 2010 at 5:03 pm:

Chilling, heartbreaking, beautiful!!!!!! Thank you sosososososossoso much for writing and posting this!

Congratulations on getting it published :D

 
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PieceOfMyHeart said...
Oct. 8, 2010 at 1:46 pm:
One word: Powerful
 
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Sam-E. said...
Sept. 16, 2010 at 6:13 pm:
It's beautiful , yet powerful. It's not enourmous, yet meaningful. This poem is apart of history, and apart of history means that something is forever! . Good Job =] !
 
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Edgar said...
Sept. 8, 2010 at 1:12 pm:
If I were to stand on that battlefield I would have known you wrote it write. Amazing.
 
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Lucy(: This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. said...
Aug. 25, 2010 at 12:13 pm:

so moving and eye-catching

each word is like a metphore but it makes so much sense

unbelieveable (:

check out my work toooo

 
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Dawnheart said...
Aug. 3, 2010 at 7:40 pm:
Very, very good. I love the last line!
 
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gutairgirlThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
Aug. 3, 2010 at 2:59 pm:
wow!       
 
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dojorockergirl said...
Aug. 3, 2010 at 2:04 pm:
this is amazing! i love it!
 
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DeadPeopleKinndaGrl said...
Aug. 3, 2010 at 11:42 am:
This is reallt cool and great. Everyone plzzzzzz commment and rate my fiction articles, it means a lot to me.
 
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hi my name is earl said...
Aug. 3, 2010 at 8:09 am:
this poem is kool
 
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matt7 said...
Jul. 12, 2010 at 5:20 pm:

NICE IMAGERY! Next time you write, use meter, it makes a lot of difference. :)

btw is there any chance you would know how to contact the editors? Cause i just want to know if Christian poetry could be published in the teenink magazine.

 
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just-a-joy said...
Jul. 12, 2010 at 11:44 am:
this is beautiful keep it up
 
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secretdancer22 said...
Jul. 12, 2010 at 2:59 am:
This  peice is truly amazing keep it up and check out my work!
 
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Kasumi said...
Jun. 20, 2010 at 9:30 pm:

I am 8% native american (sioux) XP

I really like this poem! Great job!

 
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Elena C. said...
Jun. 20, 2010 at 7:24 pm:
very powerful ..i love it !!
 
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MCRlover2011 said...
Jun. 20, 2010 at 2:12 pm:
Honestly i don't rememeber writing that or reading this poem, and it's just eh, not the best poem i read if i offened you i'm sorry it's just that's how i feel once again sorry
 
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beckie said...
Jun. 20, 2010 at 1:56 pm:
this is so beautiful.
 
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yellowflowerThis teenager is a 'regular' and has contributed a lot of work, comments and/or forum posts, and has received many votes and high ratings over a long period of time. said...
Jun. 20, 2010 at 12:57 pm:
wow its really good
 
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SKN17 said...
Jun. 20, 2010 at 8:59 am:
Beautifully written (:
 
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janette93 said...
May 29, 2010 at 6:36 pm:

i like this

i posted a couple poems

check it out :D

 
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Eilatan This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine. said...
May 29, 2010 at 5:25 pm:
this is wonderful. I love the ending.
 
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isela said...
May 29, 2010 at 1:26 am:
that was an awsome descriptive poem i like it alot
 
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