1. |
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I live on a beach I hate my hunger Food’s out of reach: The bearded ones stay under There’s only ghosts in this ocean, fish bones and laughing birds flee my hunter’s motion. I’ll turn my craft to dry land again.
There is no game. But girls dancing in a meadow. I sense my hunger change I move toward her so slow / so slow
One girl has feathers She circles and circles My future in her thighs. We dance. The world goes by. She thinks my food is crass. She don’t know the things I know. She is filled with breezy grass. We know the seeds we’ll sow.
There is no game. girls dancing in a meadow. my hunger’s changed I crouch toward to her so slow / so slow
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2. |
Grub Animal - Die alone
01:48
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mama, mama, aka / eat more fat
this grass is lush and sweet as the dew / eat bear fat
rocks, sticks, bones, shells, and scruff of hair. / seal fat then
You welcome me like a whining wind / have some meat
Aurora and fire! Aqeun! / fill it up
A million biting bugs. / keep you warm
Eat it eat it eat eat. All my teeth are showing,
My tail’s curled up tight now. I’ll bite you to defend them. Mist hovers low now but you’ll not win. My babies will be raised right.
You I’ll fight. You I’ll fight.
You’ll starve them dead, I say. / That’s not true.
Meat, broth, fish, or fresh duck eggs. / I know best.
My son picked wrong with you, woman / You raised him.
His mind’s like a mountain / Blocks the sky.
except when it isn’t. / You ruin us.
We don’t need you anymore. / Die alone.
Eat it eat it eat eat. All my teeth are showing, My tail’s curled up tight now. I’ll bite you to defend them. Mist hovers low now but you’ll not win. My babies will be raised right. You I’ll fight. You I’ll fight.
Tell your boy I’ve gone home! / Go on then.
My clutch deserves better than you / So does he.
Moss will fill up our hurried step / Fly off, witch.
May the reeds grow high and block your way. / fly, fly, witch
May a cold lake find you in your bed / Make your way.
Don’t forget to choke on your meat. / Fly, fly, fly!
Fly!
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3. |
Lonely cinders
02:58
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She’s gone she’s gone she’s gone horizon has moved on My feet are still in used up earth they are sown Adi! Ada! My body called to rumbling west dawn behind, I move towards my family
I know that I don’t know what will come ahead footprint, webbing, blurring. The path’s a slur; I walk all day, but tracks just seem to fade to gray Cold fire, hot fire, no fire, her feet don’t tire.
Lonely cinders, tears and dawn. Stars and tracks. My new lovers. Sticky slick, smoky hiss, crusty trip. This was her camp.
The tracks move on, both bird and girl, like from one Red feathers boil, up from the ground, my heart could chirp fat in the sky, Oh she must know, how hard I try. Warm days pass by, walrus have horns, and so do I. Her tracks are scarce, but duck marks are everywhere. My feet are raw, save me from summer sleet.
Lonely cinders, tears and dawn. Stars and tracks. My new lovers. Sticky slick, smoky hiss, crusty trip. This was her camp.
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4. |
Dream Grinder
02:47
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The world is made of cruel men. I was one of them. Sky is mean, and trail is cold. I hurt for being bold. Paths to houses lead, and houses have what she might need. I migrate to me. Words become scree.
Was my wife here? She was never here. My ax is pay. Oh, She went that way.
The sun set will taunt you, if you let the past haunt you. Brown bear love white. I hope the world will end tonight. Forget the facts. Pain hides everything you lack. House on her path,
heaven and wrath.
Have you seen my wife? Never in my life. Take my seal gear; it’s the best. She went west.
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5. |
Sad duel
05:00
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my family’s tracks stop at the shore of a lake, colder than sky. I want to see my wife once more. The lake’s too cruel to try.
My children, you’ll love the snails and your grandma knows all the tales. Any duck man you can call dad; they fly away when mad.
I’ll live in the lake if that’s where you are, I’ve come this far The warmth of home is the first thing I miss, and your kiss
I’ve no place left to go
I’ve walked all the warm days away. prints on this beach, webbed feet too. One feather makes me stay, until I turn lake blue.
I’m free to shake out my coat Anywhere I please
New lovers melt sad memories laughter becomes haze.
I’ll live in the lake if that’s where you are, I’ve come this far
The warmth of home is the first thing I miss, and your kiss
I’ve no place left to go
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6. |
Fox's advice
02:29
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Do you see the mountain top beyond the lake That is the test that you soon must face Climb up to the peak and you will reach your wife Never stopping once / it will take your life
There will be corpses of fallen men Do not look at their broken faces Near death you’ll be don’t stop climbing
like gripping smoke you lift the ocean climb up this mountain not stopping once
leaving behind my last possessions I grip the stones they cut my fingers Every push drains me, the air is thinning My mouth full of sand, all water’s finished Never looking left, nor looking right The next step is my only step Climbing climbing Don’t stop climbing
I’m gripping smoke I lift the ocean I climb this mountain not stopping once
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7. |
Flap flap little duck
03:35
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Out! Ain’t I your best bird? Real man’s at my door. Who’ll keep your bed warm? Put your feathers on. Beautiful plumage. I’ve seen so much more. Not in our village.
Built this house of sun, built it of cold. Build a house of fun, build it of gold.
Any man warms a bed. But mine will be warmer tonight, though I won’t get any sleep, stars rise and set on my good plight.
You. Out! Yer gonna miss me. I forget your name. You’re a cold head wind. Flap, flap little duck. Downdraft, downdraft, down. Mama soars tonight! I’ll fly South alone.
Built this house of sun, built it of cold. Build a house of fun, build it of gold.
Any man warms a bed. But mine will be warmer tonight, though I won’t get any sleep, stars rise and set on my good plight.
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8. |
Up in the mountain
01:45
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9. |
Invaders!
03:01
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10. |
Ice is life
02:35
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Ice is life snow fills my eyes sun forgets that I love you
Wind is sharp hot in my heart wind will lick off your soul
Cold is cruel hunger covers us biting bears or lightning
Winter hunting is hard but killing is the fun Revenge is against the silence.
Hunger knocks at the door oldest friend back again We go out with our copper harpoons
Cold sticks your eyes shut
Cold ocean smokes, freezes up
Snow melts in the spring gives us eggs and calves and babies laughing.
Fish swim slow Berries grow the rocks. Days are yellow and green.
That’s what lives in a snow oh flake promise us nothing and something.
Grey birds land on my beach trap, under snow I plan spring hunting.
Seals and whales come near the shore
blood turns the rocks to purple
Spring, snow marries ground.
Spring, blood on the rocks blood on the rocks
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11. |
The owl and the squirrel
02:22
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owl said to squirrel: come out here and play no! you mean to bite me, I will run away I love my fatty bones, from head to tail, you can bite my squeek I’ll bite your tail! Hoo hoo hoo
the raven and the loon met on grooming day raven combed and painted loon so lovely but when the man came, chased them away, raven was still black looked like a sack ti ti ti
Red fox and grey wolf were hungry Wolf, use your tail to catch some fish. But soon her tail froze, in the ice, and snapped off She bled and bled to death fox you scrag!
owl called out to snowflake bird: Marry me! We’ll fly to the willow tops. Snowflake’s reply: how could I marry you? Your back’s too big, and look at that pug brow. Your eyes are red, with a sharp edge Well owl screeched right back Tsi tsi tsi
the raven and the loon met on grooming day raven combed and painted loon so lovely but when the man came, chased them away, raven was still black looked like a sack ti ti ti
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12. |
Good girls
02:37
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Good duck girls don’t eat no meat. My baby, we need our special treat, small fish, wet grass and diving down fun. Not human hearts built from bronze and leather. His heart was a pale green feather. This flesh looked good to his people
No man in Duck Town; they die on the mountain. Mamamamama! Father’s here. He is. Go and see.
A man asks my boy for water. Duck men are as weak as my daughter. Your father can’t fly here; he could never cross the mountains, little dear. Duck-men flap through my bed. A glance, I flush could it be him
No man in Duck Town; they die on the mountain. Papapapapa! Mother’s here. She is. Go and see.
No man in Duck Town; they die on the mountain. Mamamamama! Father’s here. He is. Go and see.
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13. |
Vanity song
02:54
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Fight for them, and they just don’t care. Save their home, and they just don’t care. Fight for them, and get no parade. They don’t respect what I did today.
Stars foretell: The comet in my eyes; The white moon hangs high; The wind touts my pride. Stars foretold the day. The moon and breeze! I guard us all.
Fight for them, and they make no feast. Victory, and they roast no beast. Fight for them, and they sing no songs. You would think I’ve done something wrong.
Stars foretell: The comet in my eyes; The white moon hangs high; The wind touts my pride. Stars foretold the day. The moon and breeze! I guard us all.
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14. |
Black bear blood
03:09
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I dreamed a man who had a magic bear He made it in a pot of black bear blood After living too long on cold, cold fare. The monster warms my frozen heart to mud.
I hear a deep bear-grunt and I am awake Alone in my hut my dream is snow solid, liquid, real but fake. Bear skins warm in the lantern’s glow.
My old wife growls: “Your bear is sad. Go back to sleep ‘til the sun returns. White bears hunt better when they’re mad.” What can a lonely snow bound bear learn?
The angry bear brings tasty food: bones and fat and meat and fur I am full, asleep, my wife grows lewd; my dreams have dreams, they keep me shrewd.
Blood enough for two more bears Big bear bowls. So mean they cheer. I greed for bears that calm my fears When hunger follows winter .
Kill for me those world-born bear; they take my food; they wound my pride. Make me fat, great among men. We will feast on whatever don’t fly.
My bears my bears my bears ...
kill their brothers and kill some more I’m a rainbow, they disintegrate Leave me behind, and your bloody mum No magic song can heal a false birth
Curse their cursed lives. I throw up my hands. My bears broke lives I can’t unmake. I sing a song myself to die. I gasp up now, sharp and awake.
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15. |
Western wind
03:06
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The fox will raid your nest.
Bears will break your bones,
The ptarmigan, they’ll gossip.
Down drafts wilt the grass.
The other world’s as safe as here.
Please say your first goodbye
Tomorrow’s as good as today
I am too old, the mountain’s high
The stars melt down due east
Points out the journey home
Wind against my back
It always feels much faster than going the other way
What if the sun rises cold?
What if the snow’s too deep
What if it’s not deep enough?
What will there be to eat?
The other world’s as safe as here.
Now say your last goodbye.
Today’s as good as tomorrow
I’m not so old, the mountain’s a fine ride
The stars melt down due east
Points out the journey home
Wind against my back
It always feels much faster than going the other way
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Ted Strauss Montréal, Québec
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