The Dehkhoda S2:E9 (Part 8) The Story of the Crow Chief and the Apparition

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apparitions, Arabic Culture, Attar of Nishapur, Attar the Pharmacist, Conference of the Birds, Dehkhoda, Persia, philosophy, Quests, Settling the West, Sufiism, The Crows, Thirty Birds

A thousand gloomy nights and dreary dawns
revealed no spirits; neither bear cubs nor fawns,
never had they experienced such fear before,
while famine and enemies stood at their door.
They lost themselves in various ritual and prayer,
weaving portions of blood root with badger hair,
how enduring they waited through days and night –
for their revered old Crow Chief to see the light,
some of them died while many grew ill,
the chief insisted the apparition was still –
worth waiting for, his opinion would not move.
The tribe grew weaker, but would not disapprove –
of anything that the chief did or said
as he lay there failing – in his last bed.
The Crow Chief spoke: “I have a great story to speak –
before I die – for I feel deeply tired, ashen and weak –
as you, the animals and other beings can surely see.
however, I would appreciate patience and empathy.
Can you find a little love, pity or understanding for –
this grey old chief laying on the teepee floor?
You will not intervene, so save your breath,
my apparition will be with me until death.
It will consume you so take notice; beware,
it has as much power as Great White Bear,
the apparition is now within me; it is deep,
it hovers over me whether awake or asleep,
only I can see it, only I believe – I alone,
it is a lonely field of love that I have sown,
my passion for the apparition continues to burn,
and because you cannot see it, lonely I must yearn.
If only you could believe it, long have I despaired,
that your eyes cannot be open, apparition shared.
My heart has turned to blood; how long must I –
subsist on misery? I truly ask – you need not try –
to humble the apparition – who you think your foe,
it is beneath you – I believe that you sink too low.
Give yourselves time to consider and wait –
I know the apparition will become your fate,
it will appear to you – soon – and happily greet,
to wash away your fears and sense of defeat,
this abiding promise – to you – I give,
and if I fail you, I do not wish to live.
How long must I lay here while you complain?
Can’t you see – your creating your own pain?
We are all the same – into this life thrown,
none of us can survive it, not even I, if alone –
am being chased by a foe, to the precipice edge,
would we turn to fight – or leap over the ledge?
The apparition has told me – secretly,
that he would, perpetually, be with me,
he would protect me from flood and fire,
and shield me from any vicarious desire,
in times of danger he would not depart,
while giving me deep courage and heart.
And if I would fall into deep despair and sigh –
he promised to be with me, he would not fly.”

Next Post;    S2:E10     (Part 9) The Story of the Crow Chief and the Apparition

The Dehkhoda S2:E8 (Part 7) The Story of the Crow Chief and the Apparition

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apparitions, Arabic Culture, Attar of Nishapur, Attar the Pharmacist, Conference of the Birds, Dehkhoda, Persia, philosophy, Quests, Settling the West, Sufiism, The Crows, Thirty Birds

And then the Crow Braves danced around,
imitating eagle, bison and caribou sound –
wearing headdresses; it was a glorious sight;
as they attempted to exercise every Crow rite.
Finally, the revered chieftain awoke and replied,
“I believe I saw the Great Spirit before I died.”
A bia* asked; “Did he carry a beaded black rosary?”
chief responded: “Why ask such questions of me?”

*a none-derogatory Crow word replacing ‘squaw’

one urged him tell his dream; he said, “I will,
it is a long tale, it is strange – can you remain still –
while I tell the story?” then he said: “I saw the face
of a man who walks on the lake – a sacred place.”
Another brave laughed: “Enough! You must –
have lost your mind in the dry desert’s dust –
Come back.” The chief replied “I may make –
errors in life but I am sure this is no mistake.”
Another rebuked him: “Have you no regret? –
our badland spirits; you must not forget!”
The chief said: “Do not interrupt there is more; –
where was I with my tale? You spoke before –
I had a chance to unburden my heart –
For, this tale to you, I must impart.”
Then he said: “The apparition was not from hell,
even though below – is where the monsters dwell.”
A brave said: “Our Crow Chief has gone astray;
he has lost his mind, no longer knows the way?”
“True, I no longer believe in the spirit of the deer”
Replied the Chief, “and the eagle spirit, I also fear.”
Another said: “You can no longer lead us in this disgrace.”
The Chief answered: “The apparition will bless this place.”
One said: “So – you must think your apparition will roam –
around until it haunts these grounds – our sacred home?”
The chief replied: “It surely is no mystery –
that the apparition has much faith in me.”
Another said: “Regain your wits – repent!”
He rejoined: “Quiet now! – with your dissent.”
One said: ‘You sit there silent, like a toad.”
disrespect for our spirits, you have showed,
I hope that you return to your senses again –
and once more – sit at The White Bear’s den –
before the Great Spirit – admit this shame.”
Chief replied: “The apparition is my flame,
If I must grow angry – and with you fight –
to defend a new principle is my holy right,
prepare your ears for blasphemy;
you appear to have too much piety.”
The Crow braves could not seem to restore his belief –
in the Great Spirit. – They fell silent – in deep grief,
their faces grew white, ashen and pale,
then falling prostate they began to wail,
against this false apparition they wished to shield –
their revered chief, however, he would not yield.

Next Post;    S2:E9     (Part 8) The Story of the Crow Chief and the Apparition

The Dehkhoda S2:E7 (Part 6) The Story of the Crow Chief and the Apparition

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apparitions, Arabic Culture, Attar of Nishapur, Attar the Pharmacist, Conference of the Birds, Dehkhoda, Persia, philosophy, Quests, Settling the West, Sufiism, The Crows, Thirty Birds

They called for a Medicine Man after a delay –
who dwelled, perhaps, one new moon away;
the bia* sat in circles emitting their sighs,
holding their children, wiping their eyes,
*The Crow replacement word for the derogatory word “squaw.”
the wind gnarling their long black hair –
as they sat cross-legged in sad despair.
Their cries for old chief pierced night –
hoping the apparition would take flight,
was there adequate time to voice their grief?
would their leader return to his old belief?
If only his lips and eyes would move,
this apparition, they could approve,
however, no movement or life could they see,
asking “is the apparition a young bia Pawnee –
spirit dancing and singing within his head,
destroying his body and mind until dead?
What spirit does risk invading our space –
why take the chance going face-to-face –
with us and chancing torture and pain –
to take possession of the old chief again?
We surely have a right of complaint –
why show any mercy or restraint?
Reason, patience — all are now gone,
we only want Crow Chief to live on.”

Next Post;    S2:E8     (Part 7) The Story of the Crow Chief and the Apparition

The Dehkhoda S2:E6 (Part 5) The Story of the Crow Chief and the Apparition

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apparitions, Arabic Culture, Attar of Nishapur, Attar the Pharmacist, Conference of the Birds, Dehkhoda, Persia, philosophy, Quests, Settling the West, Sufiism, The Crows, Thirty Birds

The chief woke one day and with his eye,
saw the apparition, and emited a sigh;
right then and there, he realized well,
under its influence – he would dwell;
where was this dwelling, where was this place? –
where he could look directly into its face?
The Chief had grown bold, his fear removed,
his understanding grew, his nerve improved.
He wondered to himself – how could he,
speak to the apparition most openly?
It seemed to know his thoughts, an aura like fire,
surrounded the apparition; flames growing higher,
in deep fearfulness the Crow Chief fled,
Hiding his heart, his soul and his head.
Once again yanking on his long, snarled hair-
he seemed to be caught in some net or a snare.
Not knowing if he was locked in pride or shame,
he could not discern if they were one and the same,
“I have no free will,” he cried. “free choice I gave –
I am not Crow Chief; I am the apparition’s slave!”
As the other Crow Braves saw him suffering there,
they did not understand the chief’s dreaming affair –
that brought him to such sadness and grief,
which caused him to see the apparition belief.
His wailing and weeping fell on saddened ears;
they wanted to understand the old chief’s fears,
how could they question him, how could they say;
“We have our natural spirits, that we must obey –
should we give you, our revered chief, advice?
or will you treat us like winter, secluded in ice?”
For a fortnight the old chief sat and gazed,
the others looked on, powerless. yet amazed –
that the chief did not need fire or shrouds –
as rain fell from dark threatening clouds –
a light-blue aura surrounded him with light,
as he sat in serene silence, night after night.
They say that he never had love nor lust;
also, he would return to nature as dust.
Day and night, he sat there as other braves wept,
with eyes growing drowsy – they never slept;
“Great Spirit will this never end?” they cried,
“Or is it possible that our old chief has died?”
The nights were bathed in various severities,
which caused the Crow braves several agonies;
their cries and lamentations were heard on high,
while hoping their old Crow Chief would not die,
they watched him through dusk and night,
deep into the early morning’s purple light,
they worked themselves into an anxious state,
regarding the revered Crow Chief’s final fate.

Next Post;    S2:E7     (Part 6) The Story of the Crow Chief and the Apparition

The Dehkhoda S2:E5 (Part 4) The Story of the Crow Chief and the Apparition

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apparitions, Arabic Culture, Attar of Nishapur, Attar the Pharmacist, Conference of the Birds, Dehkhoda, Persia, philosophy, Quests, Settling the West, Sufiism, The Crows, Thirty Birds

The apparition shone brightly as the sun,
over his cougar skin, the vision had won
“Why go back to my people and forever face –
I am no longer Chief, to live in such disgrace?”
Around the apparition’s head, dark locks curled,
would the chief become a disgrace to his world?
Was the chief slated to be lost in defeat –
would he bow at this apparition’s feet?
He wrenched at his brain and tugged at his hair,
wondering if he could avoid this internal despair.
The apparition spoke to him of servitude and love,
promising acceptance from the Great Spirit, above.
The Crow’s feathers and cougar skin; so it seemed —
would not remove the apparition, of which he dreamed,
it appeared to love him as it walked the lake and smiled,
leaving the Crow Chief more than a little bit beguiled.
There was a halo about its head like fire,
raising the chief’s reverence and desire;
to understand it and look in its eyes,
so that he could know it and realize, –
what others may know – this he knew –
it could perform acts – others could not do.

Next Post;    S2:E6     (Part 5) The Story of the Crow Chief and the Apparition

The Dehkhoda S2:E4 (Part 3) The Story of the Crow Chief and the Apparition

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apparitions, Arabic Culture, Attar of Nishapur, Attar the Pharmacist, Conference of the Birds, Dehkhoda, Persia, philosophy, Quests, Settling the West, Sufiism, The Crows, Thirty Birds

Then he made mystical drawings – or so it would seem,
thinking the great spirit would rid him of his dream.
“To my people, I must go!” off the chief strode,
Down through the mountains and the river’s road.
violating other tribes sacred boundaries,
lands of chasms, open skies and oak trees,
however, the apparition stayed in his view,
it could not be shaken – and then he knew,
it was some sort of unknown theology,
one that he could not understand or see.

Next Post;    S2:E5     (Part 4) The Story of the Crow Chief and the Apparition