day SEVEN HUNDRED and THIRTY NINE

BONE PICKERS

30 million strong, Buffalo thundered across America.
The Land nurtured and loved them.
The Native people were nurtured by
and loved them.
The meat gave food to them.
The bones gave knives to them.
The hooves gave glue to them.
The horns gave drinking cups to them.
The hides gave housing to them,
and clothing, containers and blankets to them.
The Native people took only what they needed.
The Native people were nurtured by the Buffalo
and loved them.

30 million strong, Buffalo thundered across America.
The Land nurtured and loved them.
The uncivilized White men were nurture by
and loved them.
The meat sustained their bodies.
The hides warmed their bodies.
The horns held their gun powder.
The Buffalo was God’s creation
and did not hurt anybody. 
The uncivilized White men took only what they needed.
The uncivilized White men were nurtured by
and loved them.

30 million strong, Buffalo thundered across America.
The Land loved and nurtured them.
Civilized White men were not nurtured by the Buffalo.
Civilized White men cut out only their tongues
for rich people in Boston to eat.
Civilized White men took only the Buffalo skins,
to make shoes for rich people in London.
Civilized White men killed thousands, just for fun.
Civilized White men killed millions to starve the Native people of food.
“Kill every Buffalo you can! Every Buffalo dead is an Indian gone”,
said the colonel.
“It’s Manifest Destiny,” they said.
Civilized White men begat millions of piles of bones on the Great Plains.

 Millions of Buffalo did not thunder across America. 

Millions of piles of Buffalo bones blinded travelers.
Millions of piles of Buffalo bones were inconvenient
to the plow that created the Dust Bowl.
June 1, 1879, a poster nailed to the livery door said
“Buffalo bones. Paying $7 per ton.
Hooves and horns. Paying $14 per ton.”
The Sound of ball peen hammers striking Buffalo bones screamed,
“Bone Pickers. Bone Pickers.”
And the Echo across the plains screamed,
“Bone Pickers. Bone Pickers.”
And the Wind whispered,
“Bone Pickers. Bone Pickers.”
And then millions of piles of Buffalo bones were gone.
And millions of Buffalo did not thunder across America.

Millions of poor and desperate people in America.
“Sign this Pay Day loan you can never repay.”
And the Wind whispers “Bone Pickers, Bone Pickers.”
“The interest and penalties are only 125%.”
And the Wind whispers “Bone Pickers, Bone Pickers.”
“Sign this Car Title Loan you can never repay.”
And the Wind whispers “Bone Pickers, Bone Pickers.”
“The interest and refi charges are only 175%”.
And the Wind whispers, “Bone Pickers, Bone Pickers.”
The Debt Collector calls on Sunday and demands payment,
and the Wires whisper “Bone Pickers, Bone Pickers.”
The Collection letter arrives in the mail,
and the walls whisper “Bone Pickers, Bone Pickers.”
Sheryl Sachs walks on her tiptoes because her heel clack on the floor
in the courthouse hall.
And the Echo mummers “Bone Pickers, Bone Pickers.”
A lawyer in a three piece suit swaggers into court,
and the chairs in the galley whisper “Bone Picker, Bone Picker.”
The side door opens and the judge walks to the bench.
and the bench whispers “Bone Picker, Bone Picker.”
The bailiff calls, “LVNV FUNDING vs SHERYL SACHS.”
and rustling papers say “Bone Pickers, Bone Pickers.”
Sheryl Sachs tiptoes down the courthouse hall,
with a judgment in her hand and tears in her eyes,
And the Echo mummers “Bone Pickers, Bone Pickers.”
The courthouse door closes behind her,
and Sheryl Sachs screams to the street,
“Bone Pickers, Bone Pickers.”
And the Echo from the buildings scream “Bone Pickers, Bone Pickers.”

copyright August 12, 2018
by John Clayton