"WHAT IS THERE TO A NIGHTFIRE?" HE SAID
WITH A CURLED LIP AND A NOD OF HIS HEAD,
AND WISENED EYES AS FIRM AS COAL
WITH LEATHERY SKIN HE WORE AS SOUL.
SOME SAY HE CAME FROM OLD MONTAN,
BUT I SAY A SPIRIT BROUGHT THIS MAN
FAR FROM A PLACE, A SACRED LAND,
WHERE THERE'S NO THREAT OF A GOVERMENT HAND.
SO HE EYED ME THERE, A GLINT IN HIS EYE
AND LOOKED WELL PAST TEAR DUCTS THAT CRY,
THEN HE ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO FLY
UP WHERE THE EAGLES WALKED THE SKY.
HE WAS JUST AN OLD INDIAN, WHAT DID HE KNOW
BEYOND A BUFFALO HIDE AND A BRIGHT MOON'S GLOW?
SO I DECIDED TO TEST HIM WELL
ON A MOONLIT NIGHT FROM THE TOP OF A HILL.
" WHAT IS THERE TO A NIGHTFIRE? " HE ASKED AGAIN
AND HE WAS GETTING ON MY NERVES ABOUT THEN
" HEY WHITESMOKE," HE CALLED TO ME,
STEP OVER HERE AND THE VALLEY SEE.
I WASN'T QUITE READY TO BELIEVE
THAT THIS OLD SWARTHY INDIAN COULD MAKE THIS GROUND LEAVE,
AND DANCE ME LIKE A BIRD ON THE AIR
AND WALK ME IN THE CLOUDS WHERE THE EAGLES DARED.
I'M HERE TO TELL YOU, I MADE IT THROUGH
AND I DANCED IN THE CLOUDS WHERE THE EAGLES FLEW
AND THE STRANGEST THING, NIGHTFIRE ALL AROUND
AND THERE HE STOOD UPON ON THE GROUND.
OH, THERE WAS SOMETHING I FORGOT TO TELL
WHEN I LEFT THAT CLIFF HEADED FOR HELL
WHERE ARMS HAD BEEN NOW WERE WINGS
AND MY FEATHERED BODY SEEMED A NATURAL THING.
I WAS AN EAGLE THROUGH AND THROUGH
AND NIGHTFIRE WAS THE POWER THAT FLEW
ME THROUGH THE AIR WHEN THE MOON SHONE BRIGHT
AND PASSED ME OFF AS A STAR IN THE NIGHT.
NOW I HAVE BEEN INVITED IN.....
INTO THE HEART'S TEEPEE OF MY NEW FRIEND
AND AROUND THE FIRE WHERE THE PIPE IS PASSED
OLD WHITE SMOKE IS WELCOMED AT LAST!
