September 15th, 2025
by Mariah Srygler
The sun shut her eye
& they came dancing
on the sidewalk.
They hung music on the night
that smelled like poke berry –
is it poison?
or is it right?
The concrete split
like a great & evil gourd and sent
moss & sapling, breathing
deeply. The city slouched
and sighed. I heard the horses
laughing, kicking stardust.
Two or three kids
took the stallions
by their manes.
I did not know them.
But the story goes, they went
blazing through the sky –
but still, I heard
the horses crying.
The clouds grow red
in the East.
Men bend before the sidewalk,
head in hand,
shoulders shining,
sun is high.
I heard the horses
in the night.
Note on Community Membership
I am the granddaughter of a Blackfoot survivor of Cutbank Boarding School.
About the Poet
Mariah Srygler resides in Bloomington, Indiana, United States.
Read the poet's biography and Wax Poetry and Art publications
on Mariah Srygler's Artist Page.
This poem is collected in Comet #6,
published in the Wax Poetry and Art Library.
Previously published in First Nations Poetry Magazine:
Parenthood
by Nkoyo Nsa
First Nations Poetry Magazine is part of the Wax Poetry and Art Network.
- Visit the main Wax Poetry and Art Submissions Page to see all opportunities.
- Visit the Wax Poetry and Art Library.
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