When The Language Is Lost

Will they think us savages,
reviewing our footage of
grisly murder,
judging our dialogue by
tone and timbre –
will they criticize our
barbaric ways –
uneducated, dishonorable,
caring only for wealth –
will they break us apart
by artifact density,
by ridgelines – Hill People,
Lake People, Plains People –
When the language is lost
Will anyone care
what became of us?
Or will we be forgotten
like those we’ve destroyed?