Odes to Kirkwood · Track 2 · middle

Pre-Colonial Mvskoke Paths

The Mvskoke (Creek) people walked these ridges long before Atlanta was named. The Standing Peachtree path, the river crossings, the Creek towns of Stoneykosa and Buzzard Roost nearby. The land remembered before settler maps.

Lyrics

[Intro]

[Verse 1]
Standing Peachtree path,
you old vein of red clay,
carrying Mvskoke feet before the maps came.
Tomochichi spoke of peace in 1733,
but you were here long before,
curving around the ridges near Stoneykosa,
where deerskin bundles weighed heavy on shoulders.

[Chorus]
Oh, path, you remember the dawn mists,
smell of damp earth after rain,
flint arrowheads lost in the pine needles.
River crossings at Buzzard Roost,
where sofkee simmered over creek-side fires,
and river cane baskets held the day's gather.
You, the land's quiet memory.

[Verse 2]
Before Atlanta's iron rails in 1837,
you traced the Chattahoochee’s edge,
55 degrees at first light,
Mvskoke women weaving baskets tight,
straps digging into skin as they crossed shallow streams.
No settler lines yet, just your winding truth.

[Bridge]
Path, what spirits did you curve to avoid?
Haunted spots in the oral tales,
lengthening journeys for safety's sake.
Tomochichi's words echo faint,
but your clay holds the unmarked steps.

[Verse 3]
Stoneykosa town, Buzzard Roost nearby,
pre-1700s mornings,
footsteps crunching needles,
distant trickle of Peachtree Creek.
You, the ridge that divided waters,
long before the divide of men.

[Chorus]
Oh, path, you remember the dawn mists,
smell of damp earth after rain,
flint arrowheads lost in the pine needles.
River crossings at Buzzard Roost,
where sofkee simmered over creek-side fires,
and river cane baskets held the day's gather.
You, the land's quiet memory.

[Outro]
Standing Peachtree, whisper to me still.