"Thought-provoking and healing meditations.... Giima Laforme writes from his perspective as a son, father, husband, community leader, but most of all as a human being."- Kevin Hearn, band member of Barenaked Ladies
" We should not have to change to fit into society. The world should adapt to embrace our uniqueness." - Chief R. Stacey Laforme
Chief Stacey Laforme breathes life into every poem and story he shares, drawing from his own experiences. Rich with the essence of his soul, the poems in this book capture the moments and emotions that have shaped him. His desire is for readers to not just read, but to truly feel the humour and pain intertwined in these poems. Much like in his earlier collection, Living in the Tall Grass, this latest poetry collection invites non-Indigenous people to see through the eyes of Indigenous people with topics of peace and humanity, as well as grief, trauma ... and hope.
I Promise
We live in a world that has such beauty
Yet the beauty is overshadowed
Even our Mother the Earth, cries
We are losing any sense of connection
To our planet, to each other
Our future is no longer promised
It was not supposed to be this way
We were promised love, happiness
and safety when we came to this world
Yet it seems promises no longer possess
the weight they once did
No longer are they born in the heart
and formed in the soul
But are merely words of convenience
that flow easily from un-considering lips
We were promised!
As each promise fell, so too did we
But we still need them,
never has it been more apparent
We need to reclaim the promise that we were
all born into, that we have a right to
Stand with me, take my hand, let us remember, and let truth emerge from the heart, the spirit
A commitment that shall not break, nor wither
with age, but only grow stronger in time
Let us build on old promises and heal wounds
I promise, to be better, to do better
I promise, to love, honour and care for
our Mother the Earth
I promise, to ensure our children grow up and
do not live under the shadow of violence
I promise to embrace the things in life
that make you and I different
I promise that I will love you, even though
I may not know you
I shall not forget the past nor broken promises,
but neither shall I dwell there
I embrace this moment of truth and hope
I will carry this ideal, this dream,
this reality into our future
This is a truth that we can stand on, build on,
Before the Creator, in front of the world,
from my heart and soul
All this ...
I Promise.
