from Raccoon
by Geraldine Monk
for Laura and Nick
for Laura and Nick
But Out the Blue Poolside Up
(not seeking sprouts a vision)
Lo!
h
u
m
m
i
n
g
b
i
r
u
m
m
i
n
g
b
i
r
d
! !
And
don't
blink
oh
ye
eyes
of
mine
be
on
hold!
Never Seeing Raccoon
(I eat its words)
Forepaws
one who lifts things up, they rub, scrub, scratch
they rub and scratch
they take everything in their hands
they touch things, they scratch
they pick up things
graspers
they pick up things, they rub and scratch
one who picks up things
one very clever with its fingers
they handle things, they use hands as a tool
they handle things
graspers
they pick things up, one who touches things
one who rubs, picks up things with hands
washes with hands, they scratch
graspers
asban, ah-ra-koon-em
welkol, wilkol, wulkol, wutko
mapachitl, atuki, q’oala’s,
aasebun, aissibun, shauii
essebanes, wutki, eespan, wtala;
wtakalinch, hespan, nachenum, aispan,
sha-we, asban, at-cha,
aispun essepan, wood-ko shapata,
ethepata, swini, que-o-koo
k’alas
Face
painted one, blackened face
blackened face and feet
white bands on face
one with marked face
shiuaa, attigbro,
nashi,
macheelee, macheelee
cbel’igacocib,
Magic Thing
magic one with painted face
masked demon spirit
one who makes magic
one with magic, one with magic
one who makes real magic
one with magic
she who talks with spirits
she (little old one) who knows things
she who watches,
witch, spirit
masked demon spirit
one who makes magic
one with magic, one with magic
one who makes real magic
one with magic
she who talks with spirits
she (little old one) who knows things
she who watches,
witch, spirit
weekah tegalega
gahado-goka-gogosa
macho-on,
wee-kah, wee-chah, wee-kahsah, wici, wicha
wee-kah tegalega, wici
mee-kah, mee-chah, mee-kahsa
macca-n-e
wayatcha
see-o-ahtlah-ma-kas-kay
ee-yah-mah-tohn
tsa-ga-gla-tai
Tail
long-tailed bearlike one
those of big-tailed (long-tailed) kind
big (long) tailed ones
ring-tailed one
big (long) tailed
big-tailed, long-tailed ones
siah-opoots-itswoot
ee-ree-ah-gee
gah-gwah-gee, cah-hee-ah-gway
shinte-gleska
kagh-quau-ga
ee-ree
Doggish
dog, of dog kind
doglike leaper
doglike one
tamed like dog
night doglike one
of the dog kind
doglike leaper
ah-ohn, mayuato,
agaua
wacgina, ausup
ah-ohn, ah-oon,
agwana
Feeder
doglike leaper on crabs and crayfish
pulls out crayfish with hands
doglike leapers on crabs and crayfish
shauii,
mauyato,
seip-kuat, siep-mantei
aguara-po-pav
Pure Racoon
kaka-nostake,
guassini, guachini,
o’at
ottaguin, ochateguin,
tcokda,
patkas
kai-kai-yuts
klapissime,
va-owok,
pilquits,
pah-suh-de-na,
dEwu’si
roosotto
kanulo-nixa-niso
The Portland Ghost
(sung to the tune: In Burnham Town)
In Port-land town there liv-ed a wo-man
thrown down a shaft
which creaks with shame
Ni-nah
haunts those rooms with
an-ger
she moans
‘nigh-na’
is how you sigh my
name.
__________________
Acknowledgments.
The indigenous peoples of the Americas for their 'raccoon' words.
These three poems are from a longer sequence, Raccoon, which will be published as a Free Poetry booklet. Geraldine Monk's latest book is Escafeld Hangings.
