“Shapeshifter”

This art piece reflects the Raven as a sacred trickster and teacher in Native tradition, a shapeshifter who guides through humor, mystery, and change. Both shadow and light, the Raven Spirit reveals wisdom in transformation, reminding us that truth can be seen from many forms and every shifting path.

SHAPESHIFTER

When I was young, I looked up high,
And saw a raven in the sky.
He laughed at me, then flew away,
Left one black feather where I lay.

Who are you, Raven, dark and wise?
You wear new faces, change your size.
You trick, you teach, you fly, you fall—
A shapeshifter who sees it all.

One day he came like a man I knew,
He told a lie, then made it true.
He took my food, then gave me more,
He showed me things I’d not seen before.

Who are you, Raven, bold and fast?
You change your shape and never last.
You break the rules, then show me why,
You make me laugh, then make me cry.

He turned to fire, then turned to tree,
Then spoke in winds that carried me.
A wolf, a stone, a cloud, a man—
He changes shape to teach the plan.

He said, “My child, to learn what’s true,
You must see things from every view.
The world will shift, the path will bend—
But even change can be your friend.”

Now I see you, Raven strong—
You teach with tricks and change and song.
You wear all forms, both near and far,
A shapeshifter born from moon and star.

Now I am grown, and still you fly
A black-winged shadow in the sky.
You’re not just bird—you’re spirit wide,
The one who walks on either side.