Liam McAlpin is senior at Northeastern State University majoring in Cherokee Language Education and minoring in creative writing. He likes writing short fiction and poetry, and one day hopes to finish his novel.
The poem "Bluejay in the Cedar" was originally written in Cherokee. Here is the original text:

ᏜᏱᎦ, ᏜᏱᎦᎢᏟᎦ ᎡᎯ,ᏙᎨ, ᏙᎨᏝ ᏱᏗᎧᏃᎩ?ᏜᏱᎦ, ᏜᏱᎦᎠᏥᏂ ᎡᎯ, ᏙᎨ, ᏙᎨ Ꮭ ᏱᎯᏃᎯᎵ?ᏜᏱᎦ, ᏜᏱᎦᎢᏟᎦ ᎡᎯ,ᎭᏢ, ᎭᏢᏔᎵ ᏣᏪᏥ?ᏜᏱᎦ, ᏜᏱᎦᎠᏥᏂ ᎡᎲ,ᎦᏙ, ᎦᏙᎦᏙ ᏣᏲᎱᏒ?