To learn about owls,
you have to learn how to see,
you have to prepare your mind.
I came out with my brother to look for them.
We didn’t know they were gregarious.
Seven owls flew right over us.
Now I see them everywhere.
Praise silence.
Praise the listening.
Praise the love we have for the lake.
Amen, I concur!
and bring it back low.
Praise your shiny dope jackets.
Praise the spirit and the life of this circle.
Praise the power of words, how they move,
how they magically connect
the lake, the people, our ancestors,
the needs of mama Gaia and her cries for help.
Praise the laughter of children. Praise each of you.
Amen, I concur!
and bring it back low.
Praise this island for my granddaughter to explore,
Praise finding lichen, praise picking up rocks.
Praise these drums.
Praise beloved earth.
Praise sharing this gratitude.
Praise the preservation of ancient, sacred lands.
Praise the lake for sustaining millions of birds.
Amen, I concur!
and bring it back low.
We love Antelope Island and the lake.
Started coming out a few years ago
just to pick up litter and trash,
to teach our child about the beauty.
In this time, we’ve seen the lake level drop.
We want it back to what it was
we want to do our part to keep it beautiful forever.
Amen, I concur!
and bring it back low.
Praise moonlight bike rides.
We’ve come out to see the bison so many times.
Praise hearing that deep snort so close by!
Amen, I concur!
and bring it back low.
Praise the blessing of the mosquitos feeding so many birds.
Praise water and interconnectedness—
water flowing in our bodies, this beautiful lake, the ancestors.
Praise microbialites still underwater.
Praise learning how to see.
Praise the ways of the lake.
Praise the love that brought us together.
Praise drum beat at the center.
the heartbeat at the center.
the lake voice at the center.
Praise our little part,
whatever we can do.
Praise science. Praise poetry.
Praise spaciousness and possibility.
Amen, I hear ya! I concur!
and bring it back low.
Praises evoked and gathered from the drum circle Nels led outside on Antelope Island as the sun lowered toward the sea on February 4th, 2022