Chief Dan George was an eloquent spokesman for Native North American rights. He was also nominated for an Academy Award in 1971 for his performance in Little Big Man. Some people may not realize that he was also a talented writer. He wrote a beautiful poem called My Heart Soars, published by Hancock House Publishers in Surrey, B. C.
“The beauty of the trees, / The softness of the air, / The fragrance of the grass, / Speaks to me.
“The summit of the mountain, / The thunder of the sky, / The rhythm of the sea, / Speaks to me.
“The faintness of the stars, / The freshness of the morning, / The dewdrop on the flower, /Speaks to me.
“The strength of fire, / The taste of salmon, / The trail of the sun, / And the life that never goes away, / They speak to me. / And my heart soars.”
A friend visiting a neighbor brought over her lap-top to ask my help in identifying a piece of instrumental music that was used as background to an absolutely stunning series of inspirational images. You’ve no doubt received some of these slide-shows in your e-mail. To be honest, I couldn’t help her with the music–it sounded like a pas de deux from a ballet. I was stunned by the clarity of the images of a dew drop up close with a hummingbird in flight just above it, sand dunes that appeared as if they were sculpted by the wind and ice fields sculpted by a giant’s hand. I was mesmerized for the few brief moments they flashed on the screen before my eyes and wondered at the artistic vision of the photographers. I was reminded of those awe-inspiring framed prints above a single word that seems to describe the visual image above. Sometimes you see these hanging on the office walls of professionals. The effect they create is inspiring and leave you with a sense of calm.
Many years ago, I flew with a friend who was trying to build up his hours so he could apply to the airlines as a pilot. We would rent a small aircraft and fly all over the countryside. I snapped many photographs out the window of the small plane, but what I tried to compose simply could not surpass the natural beauty of the rolling hills and deep-water lakes below. We would land and it would feel like my heart was still up there in the clouds, still soaring.
Helen Keller believed, “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.”
In the radio show tonight, I can only hope I’ve been able to get your heart to “feel,” and maybe even to soar…
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Don Jackson
