An Indian Prayer   by H. Kent Craig   My grandfather is the fire My grandmother is the wind The Earth is my mother The Great Spirit is my father   The World stopped at my birth and laid itself at my feet   And I shall swallow the Earth whole when I die and the Earth and I will be one   Hail The Great Spirit, my father without him no one could exist because there would be no will to live   Hail The Earth, my mother without which no food could be grown and so cause the will to live to starve   Hail the wind, my grandmother for she brings loving, lifegiving rain nourishing us as she nourishes our crops   Hail the fire, my grandfather for the light, the warmth, the comfort he brings without which we be animals, not men   Hail my parent and grandparents without which not I nor you nor anyone else could have existed   Life gives life which gives unto itself a promise of new life   Hail the Great Spirit, The Earth, the wind, the fire praise my parents loudly for they are your parents, too   Oh, Great Spirit, giver of my life please accept this humble offering of prayer this offering of praise this honest reverence of my love for you.   Oh Great Spirit, Whose voice I hear in the wind, Whose breath gives life to the world, Hear me! I come to you as one of your many children. I am small and weak. I need your strength and wisdom. May I walk in beauty. Make my eyes behold the red and purple sunset. Make my hands respect the things that you have made, And my ears sharp to hear your voice. Make me wise so that I may know the things That you have taught your children-- The lessons that you have hidden in every leaf and rock. Make me strong, not to be superior to my brothers, but to be able to fight my greatest enemy: myself. Make me ever ready to come to you with straight eyes, so that When life fades as the faded sunset My spirit will come to you without shame.

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