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How Southeast Came to the Dancing House

 

They were there in the dancing house, those spirits,
They came there: Devilfish trailing his many arms,
From his beak a song coming slowly out of hiding
Like his dark cloud spilling toward the People,
A suddenly quick song between rocks, shaking the floor,
Then no song, no song.
 
And Hanging Hair, as thick and green as a thicket,
Grown long as night, shedding her red flowers,
Swelling and ripening, her song the color of blood
Turned sweet as the sharp thorns crossing her mouth.
Oh, the People's mouths opened and opened,
And the walls shock as if remembering trees.
 
And Crooked Beak, cloud-biter, eater of Lightning Snake,
Percher on Thunder, his wings crossing Sun and Moon,
Star-breaker, his song like the splitting of bones,
A whistle through lost marrow, and the smoking roof
Shaking and shaking for the People.
Then through the door's mouth came Killer Whale.
 
His fin was scraping the rooftree, his song a death song
As he lay down to be eaten. But after him poured black tides
Choking with seaweed, and black clouds blowing black rain,
Black snow and hailstones, and Devilfish sliding
Through the floor, Hanging Hair flowing through wall planks,
And Crooked Beak flapping away through the ceiling.
 
And the Post of Heaven was shaking,
The People were shaken till they heard their souls
Rattle in their clenched bodies,
And out of the wind came the screaming of Southeast:
"Come home, my brother!" And Killer Whale swam out
Toward his deep storm-lodge, leaving the People hungry.
 
 
 
 

David Wagoner

 
 
Dance Poetry
A comprehensive anthology
Edited by Alkis Raftis
Copyright 2012

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