First Nations Poetry Magazine - "<i>March 18th</i>" by Cheyenne Sky

First Nations Poetry Magazine –

"March 18th" by Cheyenne Sky

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May 15th, 2026

First Nations Poetry Contest #2 – First Place

March 18th

by Cheyenne Sky

You were wrapped in an honours blanket
As you took your last breath.
Your spirit was being cleansed, smudged from all the pain you experienced
	in this life.
It released you from your burdens, from your regrets; the smoke cleaned
	your wounds.
It allowed you to start this next part of your journey gently.
You looked around the room and saw your family broken over what we lost —
A father, a husband, a son, a brother.
You put a comforting hand on all of our shoulders — you allowed us to grieve.
Then you took your first step into the spirit world.
There you felt the protection of the sacred fire.
You heard the prayers from your Elders and loved ones.
You felt welcomed by the beating of the drums.
You were carried into the centre — where you found your clothes, passed down
	and sent with intention.
You saw the spirit plates made of all your favourite foods in this life — 
You were surrounded by tenderness.
For four days — you ate, you danced,
You received gifts from those who loved you,
And you felt the warmth settle into your being.
As the fourth day ended, you looked up and saw the Creator — holding out their
	hand.
You took a step and were met with an embrace.
Through this hug, you became all things.
You became life.
You became one with the world again, noos.
You're in the air, you're in our grass, in our rivers,
You're in the plants we see sprouting each season.
Your guidance is carried by the eagle, your embrace felt with the sun,
Your growth is in the moon and all of its phases.
This is how I know you never left — 
For Indigenous souls never die.

Note: noos, my father.

Note on Community Membership
I am Ojibwa from Beausoleil First Nation.

About the Poet
Cheyenne Sky resides in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.
Read the poet's biography and Wax Poetry and Art publications on Cheyenne Sky's Artist Page.

This poem is collected in Poetry World #15, published in the Wax Poetry and Art Library.

Keywords: Grief, Loss, Creator

Previously published in First Nations Poetry Magazine:
Our Hawks Do Actually Fly!
by Daniel S. Harrison

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