Night is Gone, Day is Coming (Poetry by Kids)

Ochoa, Annette Pina, Betsy Franco, and Traci L. Gourdine, eds. Night is Gone, Day is Coming: Stories and Poems by American Indian Teens and Young Adults. Cambridge, Mass: Candlewich Press, 2003. ISBN 0763615188

The fascinating collection of poems and short stories in Night is Gone, Day is Coming work together to form a picture of the current American Indian experience. Fifty-eight teenagers and young adults, between the ages of 11 and 22 and representing numerous tribes and nations, have written about the Native American experience. Some works relay emotions of sadness and anger while others portray pride and hope. Some poems display youthfulness, such as the flirtatious poem “Handsome Indian Boy” and the upbeat “Mom’s Fry Bread” while others show the weight of heavy thought, such as “Dark Waters” and “Not ndn enough”. Although some poems are appropriate for elementary aged children, the content in some poems would make the book more appropriate for high school aged children and older.

A theme of collectivism and unification with Native American history comes forth when the collection is viewed as a whole. In “Why the Indians Never Won” Mary Rehouse writes, “You can watch the same movie over and over./You can pray and pray for us to win but we don’t./The Indians never win.” and in “Would You Cry?” Maria Lee Feather Brien writes, “Grandma, would you/cry if you saw us now?/When you left, the air was/ fresh and clean,/ buffalo roamed and/ eagles soared./ Now they’re gone.” These poems give examples of the strong presence of the past, while poems like “Old Crow Warriors” by Frederick M. Howe and “Solitary” by Tara Reel carry the past into the future with their words. Reel writes, “It will encounter many creatures with more stories/ to share./Carvings cover its body from a time beyond our knowing,/to a time beyond our reach./Solitary but never alone...”.

The collection of poems found in Night is Gone, Day is Coming would make a great supplement to a United States History class. Use the book to help aid in the discussion of how settler treatment of the Native Americans, such as the Trail of Tears, has impacted the Native American Identity and current social issues effecting the culture.  Read a carefully chosen poem or short story each day at the beginning of class. Begin by asking students to discuss how the poem made them feel and what idea/words stood out.  

More specific prompts that might serve as follow ups include:
-How did you see culture within the poem?
-Can you make a connection between the poem and other cultures?
-How can you relate any of these experiences to yourself or others you know?
-How are the emotions in the poem universal? Unique?


Wonder
by Hillary Reed, age 15
Crow

I learn a lot just by
listening to my grandfather’s stories
and watching his eyes light up every time
he sees his grandchildren.
But I have always wondered why ol’ gramps
always wakes up extra-early and looks out
the picture window just to watch the sunrise
while he sips on his straight black coffee
He’s always crazy like that.
I wonder how grandfather will feel, blowing out
sixty candles on his sixtieth birthday next Sunday.
I wish I lived in my grandfather’s day,
when soda pop was only a nickel
and everyone ate pickles!

As an extension project, read the poem “Wonder” to students. Let students discuss the poem and make connections to themselves. Assign students an interview project. Students will be asked to interview a member of their family or community that is over 60 years of age. They will be asked to specifically find out about the individuals history and childhood/teenage years. Students will then report back to the class on what they learned about their interviewee and the time period of that person’s youth, whether in the United States or abroad!