The Wolf and the Cabin Man

 

Night and night the cabin man cleaned my teeth

when I brought along the foul gift of birds,

and placed it gently by his feet,

With string and blade, by the windowsill he took a seat, 

and hummed the stolen songs of pagans 

whom were hunted brothers, he told me 

With blood under his fingernails he pulled meat,

soulless flesh rotting in cavities, 

and set me off, hunter by the moonlight, 

and for there was never no sun, dog by day 

Then asked I abandon the night and claim defeat

and melt away my tainting monstrosities

How after he praised me for raising fright

and I have long traded my day away?

More birds I laid as he inside stayed,

and wailed in feathers and innocent limbs,

and scraped the wood scarring like skin,

for there is nothing human I could say,

and howled with me the feverish wind, 

whistled along the nails in the wood pinned,

and so, heard the deaf lord of the bay 

nothing but a poor man in fear praying

At last, amongst the trees, as my faith, swaying, 

cradled in a halo of deceit, he walked out,

grasping in the palm which stroked me my end;

I heard the dull, fading pagan song playing,

and the sleepless sound of the falling devout

wane softly like the touch of his hand, 

and I forgot my friend as he lost me in blame 

Set your rifle aside, don't you aim;

I will take the bullet and your fingers,

and some more, and leave us gnawed,

adorned with holes

A senseless bloodshed in vain;

we will be washed of doubt, not a soul shall know the story;

clean as the day of birth, for tomorrow it will rain