Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved on poles, posts, or pillars with symbols or figures made from large trees, mostly western red cedar, by indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest coast of North America (northwestern United States and British Columbia). The word totem is derived from the Algonquian (most likely Ojibwe) word odoodem "his kinship group". Totem poles are not religious objects, but they do communicate important aspects of native culture. The meanings of the designs on totem poles are as varied as the cultures that make them. Many believe they are meant to greet friendly spirits and repel evil ones. Some poles celebrate cultural beliefs that may recount familiar legends, clan lineages, or notable events, while others are mostly artistic. Source: Wikipedia.

For this poem, I used a format that would yield a form similar to a totem pole by stacking several together. Then I added a six line envoi to give it a base like a tree.

This poem is written in a modified Flying Saucer format. It was created by Patricia Lawrence (our fellow FanStorian, Patcelaw) this week of May 24, 2015.
The Flying Saucer format is formed based on a syllable count of:
3,6,9,12,9,6,3.
It creates a stanza that forms the shape of a Fying Saucer, thus the name. It contains two or more stanzas. There is no requirement for either rhyme or meter.
However, for this poem I chose to use rhyme. The rhyme scheme used is:
abababa

The envoi has six lines with a syllable count of 3,3,3,3,3,4. it reads:

Totem pole
Protect us
Totem pole
Preserve us
Totem Pole
Color our lives

This picture of a totem pole was taken by the author himself at the Minnesota Science Museum in downtown St. Paul on May 23, 2015.

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