Rosie's Song

My sister Rosie
half Blackfoot Indian
sees ghosts,
her dead husband
her grandmother.

we smoked the Lakota Pipe I gave her for Christmas
she carries it in her car
in the blue bag it came in
along with a bit to tobacco

I explained that ghosts need help--
she can pray for them with her Pipe
the tobacco spirit helps ghosts move on.

she promised she would do this
at home tonight, before sleeping.

I want to listen to Rosie for hours,
take notes
make a digital recording.
she has Crazy Wisdom

She lives on 800 dollars a month
her car sometimes runs
her computer is broken
but not her spirit.

She picks up homeless people, helps them find shelter,
doctors, and church food banks,

she helps our heroin-addicted bother
find day jobs.

she feeds his cat
and fixes the roof when it leaks.

She has a form of muscular dystrophy
that causes severe pain and cramping
she has surgery about once a year
to get her feet to straighten out.

She takes eight medications, some of which make her feel crazy
but its better than the pain.

I think I may write her story one of these days
They say people who have Charcot-Marie die young
so I better get started.