| Harriet Monroe, ed. (1860–1936). Poetry: A Magazine of Verse. 1912–22. | | | | The Carrying of the Ghost | | By Nelson Antrim Crawford |
| | A Mes-qua-kie Ceremony
[The Friends and the Mourners chant responsively.]
LET the ghost of the brave be carried away. | |
| Let the ghost of the brave be carried away. | |
| Mourners, look up. | |
| Fasters, look up. | |
| You who have shed your blood, look up. | 5 |
| You whose tears were not enough to shed, | |
| Look up, look up. | |
| |
| We cannot look up. | |
| We cannot look up. | |
| |
| A moon ago he died. | 10 |
| A moon ago died the dutiful son. | |
| A moon ago died the faithful husband. | |
| A moon ago died the brave, the friend. | |
| His ghost is cold. | |
| His ghost is naked. | 15 |
| Let the ghost of the brave be carried away. | |
| Mourners, look up. | |
| Fasters, look up. | |
| |
| We cannot look up. | |
| We cannot look up. | 20 |
| |
| Mourners, fasters, | |
| Where is his ghost? | |
| In the Happy Hunting Ground | |
| Pursues he the game? | |
| Fights he in company with ancient warriors? | 25 |
| Fights he in company with Hot Hand? | |
| Fights he in company with Cold Hand? | |
| Fights he with the ancient brave Mes-qua-kies? | |
| Mourners, fasters, | |
| Where is his ghost? | 30 |
| Is he in the Happy Hunting Ground? | |
| Is he in the Happy Hunting Ground? | |
| |
| Aï, aï! Aï, aï! Aï, aï! | |
| Aï, aï! Aï, aï! Aï, aï! | |
| |
| Why is he not in the Happy Hunting Ground? | 35 |
| Why is he not in the Happy Hunting Ground? | |
| Mourners, fasters, | |
| Have you not sent him? | |
| Mourners and fasters, | |
| Befriend him, befriend him. | 40 |
| Mourners and fasters, | |
| Befriend his ghost. | |
| Why is he not in the Happy Hunting Ground? | |
| Mourners, and fasters, why does his ghost tarry? | |
| Why is it thin and cold and naked? | 45 |
| |
| He is so loved | |
| We cannot send him. | |
| He is so loved | |
| We cannot let him go. | |
| Aï, aï! Aï, aï! Aï, aï! | 50 |
| |
| He stands outside | |
| The circle of the ghost-fire. | |
| He stands outside | |
| In the cold darkness. | |
| His soul is naked, | 55 |
| He is cold, outside | |
| In the cold darkness. | |
| He fears the demons | |
| In the cold darkness, | |
| Lest they eat his soul | 60 |
| In the cold darkness. | |
| Mourners and fasters, | |
| Befriend his ghost. | |
| |
| He is son: we cannot send him. | |
| He is brother: we cannot send him. | 65 |
| He is husband: we cannot send him. | |
| He is friend: we cannot send him. | |
| We cannot send him. | |
| We cannot let him go. | |
| If we send him, | 70 |
| He comes back no more. | |
| If he goes, | |
| He comes back no more. | |
| |
| He is lonely and friendless. | |
| He has no companions. | 75 |
| He sees his friends | |
| By the smoky ghost-fire, | |
| But they cannot see him. | |
| He hears their voices | |
| Praise him by the ghost-fire | 80 |
| But they cannot hear him | |
| When he replies. | |
| Thin is his voice: | |
| They cannot hear it. | |
| Send him to the Happy Hunting Ground, | 85 |
| Where dwell his ancestors, | |
| Send him to the Happy Hunting Ground, | |
| Where dwell Hot Hand and Cold Hand. | |
| |
| Long is the ghost-road: | |
| No one returns by it. | 90 |
| Long is the ghost-road: | |
| He comes back no more. | |
| |
| Long is the ghost-road: no one returns by it. | |
| Long is the ghost-road: but all go over it. | |
| Long is the ghost-road: you will go over it. | 95 |
| You will go over it, if you will send him. | |
| |
| Long is the ghost-road: | |
| No one returns by it. | |
| Long is the ghost-road: | |
| He comes back no more. | 100 |
| |
| He wanders in the cold, beyond the ghost-fire. | |
| He picks up crumbs like a wolf in the cold. | |
| He has no horse: he can hunt no game. | |
| Long is the ghost-road, | |
| But all go over it. | 105 |
| Long is the ghost-road. | |
| You will go over it. | |
| You will go over it | |
| If you will send him. | |
| |
| Yes, we will send him, | 110 |
| For we shall follow him. | |
| Yes, we will send him, | |
| For we shall not lose him. | |
| Yes, we will send him: | |
| We shall all follow after him. | 115 |
| We shall all follow after him, | |
| Wise, good, loving. | |
| Yes, we will send him: | |
| Make ready the horse, | |
| The new clothes, the feast. | 120 |
| |
| They will send him, they will send him, | |
| The mourners will send him, | |
| Make ready the horse, the new clothes, the feast. | |
| They will send him, | |
| They will send him, | 125 |
| And they will follow after. | |
| Call the ghost carriers, | |
| Call the ghost carriers. | |
| Bring no more wood to the smoky ghost-fire: | |
| The ghost goes on the long ghost-road. | 130 |
| Bring no more food to the smoky ghost-fire: | |
| The ghost goes on the long ghost-road. | |
| Let the men who sit by the smoky ghost-fire | |
| No more praise him that he may hear. | |
| Let the men who sit by the smoky ghost-fire | 135 |
| Rise up now and help to make ready. | |
| Rise up and make ready. | |
| Make ready, | |
| Make ready, | |
| Rise up and make ready. | 140 |
| The ghost goes on the long ghost-road. | | | | |
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