Here

I journeyed to my ancestral tundra tonight.

Back through time to the present.

Connecting with the people, with my people, to our people.

Together we heard the universal voice

Together we listened to the voice

Together we acted upon the voice

Together with love, in love, out of love

For all that is the love.

Around the fire light of a bar

Without flames the fire burned before us and within us.

We told stories of our ancestors

We shared the knowledge and the life

Our fathers smiled tonight as we retold our lessons

Our mothers beamed with pride as we became love.

No chance meeting, no accident as we collide,

No fear or hate as we become the borealis in the sky,

lighting the horizon from end to end.

Back through time to the present

We shared the breath of life, pure and simple.


Richard Nedervelt

(I was born in Anchorage Alaska and Jack and Joy were both from tribes in Alaska) What a blessed meeting...

Poem for my Fathers, "May they Rest in Peace and Love...

In this moment, we are gathered here to remember my mothers husband and our father.
In this moment, releasing this shell we name self,he has passed on.
In this moment, remembering the son, the father, the grandfather,the husband.
In this moment, sharing each others support, sharing our joy, and our sorrow.
In this moment we gather beside one another, contemplating this man,
and how he played a role in all of our lives.
In this moment, is the Truth, and the man.
He is like us all, born into this world, laughing, crying, working, playing, stumbling, rising, loving, and losing.
It is in this moment, that we see how incredible intertwined our lives are,
and how much in common we all share.
In this moment, we become one.
It is in this moment, we become free.
In this moment, families and friends gather to acknowledge my father,
But, it is in this moment, we remain.
It is in this moment that we must say, "I love you, I honor you, I’m here for you, and I hear you."
It is in this moment that we exist.
We have no minutes or seconds already passed;
we have no certainty of where our lives will end,
All we have is now.
All we have is each other.
All we have is the kindness and love we offer and receive.
All we have is this moment and nothing more.
In this moment, I show my respects, I show my love, my sorrow, my peace.
In this moment here with you, I share my moment and then it is gone.
Rest in Peace and Love Father, you are loved.

Richard Nedervelt