 L-R: Teacher Kris Townsend, Jason, and Ed. |
Ed Nielsen, through his lyric poetry observes people, places and events with a magical realist's eye and an epic brush of the imagination. His poetry crosses cultural boundaries to explore environmental and native Issues of the people of the Americas. |
These poems have provided him with a means to express the beauty and
mystery of his Native heritage while enabling teachers and students to exchange
views on Native/Non Native Issues.
Ed Nielsen, through his lyric poetry observes people, places and events
with a magical realist's eye and an epic brush of the imagination. His poetry
crosses cultural boundaries to explore environmental and native Issues of
the people of the Americas.
Mr. Nielsen's poetry is a rich mixture of reality and surrrealism merging
into dreamlike landscapes of thought and feeling. He has both an historians
eye and poet's heart.
Mr. Nielsen is a Chinook Indian, a descendant of Chief Huckswelt of The
Lower Willapa Tribe. He was an official representative of The Shoalwater
Indian Tribe at the first National Indian Youth Leadership Conference in
Washington D.C. That same year he illustrated a fifth grade Indian reading
series text, A Trip To Taholah, for The Northwest Regional Educational
Laboratory.
In April 95, he was an invited reader at The Evergreen State College Northwest
Native Womens Conference. In May he was a featured performer at The
Wild Salmon Restoration Conference.
His most recent work has been featured in Discover
Cathlapotle!, a Teacher's Workshop Guide for the Cathlapotle Environmental
and Heritage Education Project. (The poems are currently being used by several
teachers in Washington.)
Ed Neilson is a graduate of The Evergreen State College with a Bachelor
of Arts in Literature and History.
In addition to his lyric poetry, he is providing archival assistance at
The Evergreen State College Library.
For the past six years, Mr. Neilsen has closely worked with musician, Frank Hinojosa, writing original lyrics which Frank
has set to music.
Recent poems appear in "The Warrior Poet" and The Chinook "Tillicums"
Tribal Newsletter. Last Spring, "Swamped" won Honorable Mention
for the Charles Proctor Humor Award by The Washington Poet's Association.
Other poems have appeared in "Poetic Voices of America" "American
Poets Anthology" and "Living Jewels: a collection of Lyrical Poetry.
He has become a regular reader on Olympia's Native Commentary Radio Show.
A portion of Ed's description of his July 18th visit to
Cathlapotle was played on a recent broadcast of the National Native
News Network.
There's Fog in the Hills,and its carpeting the forest floor,
its swirling across the tidal flats,
its spectral mass hovers above the treeline,
Mok-Watt (Ghost Fog) silently gliding enmasse;
It plays with the light and the shadow,
it makes a mystery landscape out of an afternoon
Daydream,
It stirs and writhes upon the treeline
and ponderously rolls out on the
Bay Center Green.
Indian Spirits returning to the bay,
to the forest's quiet way,
to the field and of the sky
this is the Mok-Watt floating by.
Copyright '95 Ed Nielsen
Mighty salmon
sacred Salmon
Salmon People of The Sea
Salt meets Fresh Water
estuary
Mighty salmon
sacred Salmon
Salmon People of The Sea
Swimming out from the river
into the wide Ocean's
to return
to spawn
back into those same
streams, rivers, and lakes
where they began their long journey!
Mighty salmon
sacred Salmon
Salmon People of The Sea
returning to their destiny!
Copyright 95 Ed Nielsen
Sun lying idle in a
blue depthless, sky.
Nighttime thoughts are spinning
through the sleeper's eye.
Time hangs on the face of the clock as
Summer leaves Autumn stains
on the imperfect painter's smock.
Copyright 95 Ed Nielsen
With a sigh, the dancing limb leaps the eye,
acending the steps towards the Hour Glass.
Trembling matter almost touching bones of the past.
Skeletal frame built upon Time's passing.
Planets dot the sky as the eye stares back through
black hair blown in the wind.
The craggy peaks tower some miles distant from the errie
tableau.
The dancing limb will stay poised on that final step as the
sands fill up with the image of Death.
Life embossed within the living breath.
The eye will remain focused upon nothing.
It allow all things to pass its way but life and death will
not force it to acknowledge their ancient play.
Will the Life Force shatter the Hour Glass?
What worlds can then pass from Heaven and Hell?
The Eye is the window of the soul but where does the soul
go?
Inspired by a painting by Mr. Isaac Shultz Reyes
Copyright 95 Ed Nielsen
Brown, dusty field
what secrets does
the ancient soil yield?
Ghosts superimposed
upon the living
In shadows of trees
students of Archaeology
bring to present light
these are My People's
Lives buried in this
Sacred Land, Sacred Soil!
This is the Chinookan History
coming to a very different
Time's sight
green tree limbed
shadow summered light
in the digs, ridges of
long extinct fires
soil shadows
layers of debris
we stand in this place
of past living
but life is here again
the Chinookan History
is once again
given back to Us!
Maybe only tools
once held
but the silent whispers
as hands slice the air
what lies behind all?
The living and Spirits
superimposed
time and space
studying soil,
sedate pace
soil on hands and face
rectangular space
the past is real!
As real as the sweat on my brow
As real as the hard packed
Earth's surface against
sandeled feet
limited time to excavate,
uncover
discover the distant (past)
truths
quietly picking my way
through digs, stringed off
soil shifters, smudged notes,
shovels, buckets,
corners and squares
Memories catch times secrets
humanity shares
care, attention to detail
scrutiny so scrupulous
The layers of time in the soil
rotted timbers
the ashes of the fires
bits and pieces of the
animals they ate
These people bring them
alive!
They help the memory survive!
All their dedication,
patient, oh, infant patience
work, hours of work
statistics, lab work
bones, buried homes
to reconstruct the homes
that stood, the lives of
The Chinook People
Of Cathlapotle!
The Chinookan People's
Spirits superimposed
in these same spaces with the
living!
The Chinooks Of Cathlapotle!
copyright 95 Ed Nielsen