Contemporary Poet Response to "Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle" by Black Elk

Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle

Everything the Power of the World does
is done in a circle. The sky is round,
and I have heard that the earth is round
like a ball, and so are all the star.
The wind, in its greatest power, whirls.

Birds make their nests in circles,
for theirs is the same religion as ours.

The sun comes forth and goes down again
in a circle. The moon does the same,
and both are round. Even the seasons
form a great circle in their changing,
and always come back againt to where they were.

The life of man is a circle from chidhood to childhood,
and so it is in everything where power moves.


My Response Poem:

Everything the Power of the World does is done on a straight line

Everything the Power of the World does
is done on a straight line. The sky is straight,
and I know that within the scope of our vision,
we see straight ahead

We walk in a straight line,
A fixed path standing to guide us.

And yet the lines
stand straight
so meekly, beyond
an understanding
yet so emphatic,
regressed to ignorance.

With lines comes order
With order comes power
And so everything of the Power of the World
is done on a straight line.

A starting point
an ending point,
a straight line is our life.

The life of man is a straight line from birth to death
and so it is in everything where power travels.