The
whale’s back was dry with sand
It
was weird seeing this aquatic mammal
Dead.
sad and lonely on the land
The
The
Pacific tide tried to reach & retrieve
Its
majestic son of the sunset sea.
A
strange witness to this all -
Was
a crane – slender and tall
Its
eyes looked rich as it flew away
Then
I was alone – the only one
So
I cut the whale’s tongue and began to eat
In
an effort to preserve its ancient lineage
I
ate and prayed to all around me and beyond
Awakening,
I felt the Pacific North West
In
my blood, soul, and being – and –
I
screeched, howled, screamed and sang
With
this whale’s blood in my veins
Still
dripping from my teeth & down my mouth
And
when I returned to
The
people all smelled funny to me
-
a pungency I never sensed before
And
I noticed they all looked differently at me
No
longer was I – yet I still knew I was – a stranger
In
a strange land seeking something meaningful