Medicines
i keep kahentakon (sweetgrass) over my door,
braided down like my mother used to do to her hair, reminding me
that only good spirits are welcomed in
this home, in this body, in this soul.
i lay my oienkwa'on:we (tobacco).
crouching low with a grin, i say mt praise.
my left hand leaves bits of this heart-shaped leaf
praying that in taking the land's breath it hears my spirit beat.
i am surrounded by onen'takwehtenh:tshera (cedar).
before life and approaching death, this tub of holy water protects me.
shielding soul from spirits unwelcomed, i prepare for take off.
i light my ononhkwa'ashon:a (medicines) and breathe.
soak in it's smoke and wash away the badness.
hands, heart, nose, mouth, eyes finding clarity in this chaos called life.
Poems in Passage
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TTC • Aga Khan Museum • Pattison
Design and layout by Marissa Korda and Marta Ryczko
Picture of the Medicins poem taken on the Toronto subway in April, 2025.
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