Jackalopes

Where's the way the shades are walking?

Where's the feet that crushed the cleavestones?

Are you asking

What's that thunder

Rolling in the caves and caverns?

I am urged, yes forced to tell you

Of the rivers and the grottos

Of the fierce-proud jackalopes

They are in the deep of cosmos

Under borderworld Xibalba

They are skull-flames in the darkness

Lighters of the smoke and builders

Of the pylons and the great roads

That leads from here into hereafter

By the shores of river Lethe

In the mountains, near the forest

Betwixt the dream cave and the danger

Of the deep-steep walls of fire

In the house of shades and ladies

Horns of fire, ears of heart-smoke

Steps held windward, will-hearts flaring

Teeth to cut the ancient demons

The sound of thunder all beneath us

Is the stomping of their laughter

Rebounding from shaman to scrivener

Of the fierce-proud jackalopes

Hear me sing the song of legends

And the hope of the departed