Tag Archives: Historical

Oakies

Somewhere in between the photo prompts provided by JSW Prompt on A Writer’s Life and Kat’s Twittering Tales I was reminded of the thousands of Oklahomans who migrated to California during the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s.

Photo credit: Easystreet

Deddy sed we was a goin’ to the land a milk n hunny, but when we got there it were dry n brown and folks said we tawk funny.

There weren’t no jobs- very little milk, and we ain’t never seen no hunny. Cal-i-for-ni-a weren’t a very friendly place, for folks din’t have no munny.

They took to callin’ us Oakies- as if it were somethin’ bad to be. As if for some kinda reason, it were shameful, justa be me.

Weren’t none of them folks from there, so I never did understand, what made them think they was better ‘an me, ’cause I was born on Oklahoma land..

No sir, Cal-i-for-ni-a, weren’t what it was cracked up to be. So lord, if that’s where you’re serving milk and hunny- don’t set no place for me..

JSW Photo Prompt

Kat’s Twittering Tales photo by Pixel @Pixabay.com


Miwok Revenge

Photo Courtesy of Fandango

They came in tall canoes from lands they said existed on the far side of our beloved Pacific.  They brought with them their gods. Vengeful gods that called down plagues upon us. Our people burned with intense internal fires that blistered first our tongues and then our flesh. The fires spread quickly, cutting us down in great numbers, scaring the minds and bodies of those who survived only to be driven from the land of our fathers.

A docile and hospitable people, we were silently swept away with the four winds, leaving behind our home, our sea, our way of life..

Our gods however, remained to fight in our stead. They cast the dark shadow of greed over the white man, and looked on as the vast wealth and power they accumulated- reduced them to a discontent, fearful nation, flung far from the once strong arm of their gods.

They create images now of our gods, hoping to soothe them. They make proud showy displays- offering empty promises to nurture and protect them.

Our gods are not so easily fooled.

Word Count: 180

This is my response to Sunday Photo Fiction.

Please take a moment and familiarize yourself with the story of the Miwok People that once inhabited this coastal region now called Sausalito, CA .