North Pass

up the north pass

there was a man

in a cave

crawling

for years

afraid

I heard him

then i heard him

i didn’t believe it

I couldn’t believe it

new drumming sounds

mysterious rustling sounds

new and old sounds

of wood

of tree

of water

of carved instrument making music

now that cat is on the prowl – looking good – casually suited – causally committed – seizing the day

like any good cat would

[bend down, pet a cat]

—

once there was a man

for years!

in his colonial civilization house

i didn’t believe the story

i couldn’t

i doubted

then i looked

squinted

through a little hole

a little mouth hole

he was there

looking at each other eye to eye blinking

it was so true!

he’d been there for years and years

afraid to come out we encouraged him he came out smiling laughing joy through his beard he smiled so hard his healthy teeth shone through his old orange jumpsuit bent down worshipping

he told me of his struggles i said human (father was present)

in that moment we agreed (barked at mother)

i said this is going to be a great study indeed!

a great study of humanity!

worthy of a book or a tome or a poem

we went off together

to this great work

this very great work of ours

to a hazel wood where a fire was in my head

cut and peeled a hazel wand and hooked a berry to a thread (Yeats)