[SPEAKING O'ODHAM]
It's my pleasure to be here this evening,
and I want to express my appreciation to the University
of Arizona Poetry Center and all our friends here,
also the University of Arizona Press, and all of our friends
there as well.
So many of them are here, and I've always appreciated
my association with them and their friendship
and their support in all of the work
that I've done over the years.
Also I want to acknowledge my good friend, Luci Tapahonso,
and I'm deeply honored to have this opportunity
to read with her here this evening.
We go a ways back.
And so it's nice to always come together
in a setting like this, so I just want to mention that also.
As I've spoken on this first piece
that I read to you in autumn, I dedicate it
to a friend of ours, Buck Lucy, and mine
that we lost this week.
And that piece was "Ñeñe'i Ha ṣa:gid."
And in English it goes something like this.
"In the Midst of songs."
we hear the songs resounding.
They are resounding towards the sunset.
They are resounding towards the sunrise.
They are resounding towards the North.
They are resounding towards the South.
We are in the midst of songs.
Our heart is full of joy.
Our mind is good.
Our land is good.
The land is all beautiful.
Take a look.
There is a light rain all around.
Take a look.
We hear the ocean in the distance.
It has come near us.
We hear the beautiful wind in the distance.
It has come near us.
We hear the dust storm in the distance.
It has come near us.
We hear a beautiful song in the distance.
It has come near us.
We hear a beautiful song in the distance.
It has come upon us.