Corpse Whale

Tulunigraq: Something Like a Raven

80 Tulunigraq Something Like a Raven Dances for Qarrtsiluni to Change the Steps Home Under a salt white moon Tulunigraq dances to the braided night shade. He toe hops on blades of sea grass his feathers shine like Acoma black on black pottery his beak a locus of tool and song. He sings into the purple morning clicks and caws in medicine words waits waits for something to break. Qarrtsiluni sitting in silence where all things and all beings reach back into time before iron and oil. Like his cousin Crow, Raven Man clicks and caws in verse time told tomorrow 461 years ago and today. In the same moment of stillness over the Tongass sledge at high day Raven lights a whale oil lamp by the sun’s rays. It is said Raven flickers the way for the Inupiaq he sings click, click, caw because rarely is there any, one place to call home. ...