Poem for Friday and Thanksgiving Dinner

The Thanksgivings
By Harriet Maxwell Converse

We who are here present thank the Great Spirit that we are here to praise Him.
We thank Him that He has created men and women, and ordered that these beings shall always be living to multiply the earth.
We thank Him for making the earth and giving these beings its products to live on.
We thank Him for the water that comes out of the earth and runs for our lands.
We thank Him for all the animals on the earth.
We thank Him for certain timbers that grow and have fluids coming from them for us all.
We thank Him for the branches of the trees that grow shadowsfor our shelter.
We thank Him for the beings that come from the west, the thunderand lightning that water the earth.
We thank Him for the light which we call our oldest brother, the sun that works for our good.
We thank Him for all the fruits that grow on the trees and vines.
We thank Him for his goodness in making the forests, and thankall its trees.
We thank Him for the darkness that gives us rest, and for the kind Being of the darkness that gives us light, the moon.
We thank Him for the bright spots in the skies that give us signs,the stars.
We give Him thanks for our supporters, who had charge of our harvests.
We give thanks that the voice of the Great Spirit can still be heard through the words of Ga-ne-o-di-o.
We thank the Great Spirit that we have the privilege of this pleasant occasion.
We give thanks for the persons who can sing the Great Spirit's music, and hope they will be privileged to continue in his faith.
We thank the Great Spirit for all the persons who perform the ceremonies on this occasion.

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I spent Thanksgiving like a lot of other people I know did: breakfast and Macy's Day Parade with Paul and the kids, early football, superb Thanksgiving dinner at my parents' (fake turkey for three of us, real for the rest, plus sweet and mashed potatoes, carrot souffle, cranberry sauce, and lots of dessert), then driving Maddy to work, catching a Snorlax in the park, coming back to my parents' for the Washington-Dallas game, dessert, then home for a movie (Victor Frankenstein, which we'd seen before though Daniel and Adam had not). Hope everyone else who celebrates had as nice a day! A few pics: