Barbareño


Sun touched Chumash children played upon the land.
Golden brown bears walked from mountains to coastal sand as wild steelhead swam up the Los Angeles River.
Cabrillo eyed the wide expanse. Spanish sailors laughed and danced with visions of beautiful wild maidens.
Old San Salvador bobbed and slipped smoothly through the warm salt waters of Southern California.
The Spanish Crown would be so glad, but thousands of Chumash would soon be sad.
Enchanted summer turned to fall as tranquil waters north turned to squall.
Captain Cabrillo and his men
returned south again,
to find protection on Miss Santa Catalina.
A fateful cut caused Juan’s leg to swell.
On January 3rd his men bid him farewell.
Near 500 years have past since then, Cabrillo’s gone as are his men.
40 million now tread upon nature’s most beautiful daughter.
Still upon a starlit night moon beams reflect an ancient light down on crashing waves with effervescent thunder. Her powerful beauty comes out again and erases the scars of greedy men.
Ancient words of Chumash roll and the ghosts of Tule elk bugle like banshees across the water. When again, will she be free to run again in harmony with nature and the universe of her creator?