ODE TO THE TRAILS

Long before the great world wars, Old Mose Muise and many more, came upon this rock. They struggled through the two, and left a mighty flock.
Our parties grew in seasons after our arrival, Over the seas, rivers, and snowcap mountains, with levels of natural fruits, nourishing our survival. Redman, once and still, only claiming medicine from those mother roots, Now lay to rest alongside!
Other countries searching for whales, cod or fame came , and left again and again and again. Upon the rocks, called mounds, no one could ever claim, left a mark in life, now nothing remains the same.
On the land so pure and free, the forest of white and black bears. The hopping of the artic hare, The cycle of the caribou, then sometimes rare, We ate salmon, beaver, eels and seal with our natural tea you see, oh! Our health so fine, Tis, to multiply our kind, the ancient ones canoed here for a long, long time!
Fore Freedom we had before, Here In NEWFOUNDLALD.
Landlocked down from all else, He gave us this all free, Now after wandering these centuries, we cannot survive, by the sea, or our pulp and paper drives, Our marble, and oil won’t fail this time... it is the end, Not just for me! But for the young and old we sent back out to sea.
In all life we only own, What elders leave behind. When poverty struck beneath this dome, It changed our course in time!
Those darkest days are long but gone, Now modern ways we call upon, No stones are left beneath the earth, that could ever tell all the tales, Still, all that death and all that healing, we.
Fore Freedom we had before, Here in NEWFOUNDLAND.
Composed (Remembrance Day) Nov.11, 2005
Victor James Muise Jr. III (Pikto'l Sa'ke'j Muise)