15 Flower World Variations
							Yaqui


o flower fawn
		about to come out playing
			in this flower water
out there
		in the flower world
			the patio of flowers
in the flower water
		playing
			flower fawn
about to come out playing
		in this flower water

.

in wilderness I am
		that only melon
		flowering
& splitting
		sending vines out
			everywhere
you are
		in wilderness 
			I am that only
melon flowering
		& splitting
			sending vines out
in the flower world
		out there
			under the dawn
a pale blue cloud
		will be grey water
			at its peak
the mist will reach
		will rain down
			on the flower ground
& shining
		reaching bottom
			where you are
in wilderness
		that only melon flowering
			I am
& splitting
		sending vines out
			everywhere

.

when the fresh night comes
		o night hawk
			you fly up
o night hawk
		out there
			in the flower world
under the dawn
		the light beyond us
			you fly up
o night hawk
		from a branch of mesquite
			you fly up
o night hawk

.

(where is the rotted stick that screeches lying?)
the screeching rotted stick is lying over there
(where is the rotted stick that screeches lying?)
the screeching rotted stick is lying over there
there in the flower world
		beyond us
			in the tree world
the screeching rotted stick
		is lying
			over there the screeching
rotted stick is lying
		over there

.

ah brother
		look at you
			a deer with flowers
brother
		shake your antlers
			little brother
shake your antlers
		deer with flowers
		why not let your belt
your deer hoofs
		shake? why not vibrate
			cocoons
strapped to your ankles
		brother
			shake them
little brother
		shake & roll

.

in one tree
		one stick
			who makes the sound of cracking
cracking wood?
		in one tree
			one stick
who makes the sound of cracking
		cracking wood?
			there in the flower world
the tree world
		you do not have my
			long grey body
in one tree
		one stick
		who makes the sound of cracking
cracking wood?

.

what's this tree bent down with
		flowers?
			surely
it's this flower stick
		bent down
			with flowers surely
what's this tree bent down with
		flowers?
			surely
it's this flower stick
		bent down with
			flowers surely
out there
		in the flower world
			the floral world
among the sagebrush
		there's a flower bush bent down with
			flowers
surely it's this flower stick
		bent down with flowers
			surely

.

out in the mountain there
		these look like
			doves
& in the flower water
		three of them
			are grey & bobbing
three of them are walking
		grey & side by side
			there in the flower world
the dawn
		out in the flower water
			three of them
are grey & bobbing
		in the mountain there
			these look like doves
out there
		& in the flower water
			three are grey
& bobbing
		three of them are walking
			grey & side by side

.

you
		like a mountain squirrel
			old enchanter
sounding large
		& like a mountain squirrel
			old enchanter
there in the flower world
		the dawn
			there in its light
that big place over there
		that mountain canyon
			sounding large
& like a mountain squirrel
		old enchanter
			sounding large

.

to sleep in
		these flowers
			to crawl there
I who am flower-world creeper
		who sleep there
			who crawl in these flowers
out there
		in the tree world
			climbing this branch
I crawl up it
		to sleep in
			these flowers
I who am flower-world creeper
		who sleep there

.

where are you standing
		in the wind 
			dead grasses
grey & shaking in the wind
		dead grasses
			where are you standing
in the wind dead grasses
		grey & shaking in the wind
			dead grasses
there in the wilderness
		the flower world
			a pale blue cloud
will be grey water
		at its peak
			the mist will reach
will rain down
		on the flower ground
			& shining
reaching bottom
		where you are
			where you are only
standing in the wind
		dead grasses
			grey & shaking in the wind
dead grasses

.

ah brother
		they want us to kill
			this beaver
they want us to kill
		ah brother
			this beaver
this beaver
		ah brother
			they want us to kill
with a bow & arrow
		they want us to kill it
			ah brother
with hair standing up
		they were waiting
			& ran from us
broke down their doors to get in
		now they want us
			to kill it
ah brother
		with a bow & arrow
			ah brother
they want us to kill it

.

flower
		with the body of a fawn
			under a cholla flower
standing there
		to rub your antlers
			bending
turning where you stand to rub
		your antler
			in the flower world
the dawn
		there in its light
			under a cholla flower
standing there
		to rub your antlers
			bending turning where you stand
to rub your antlers
		flower
			with the body of a fawn
under a cholla flower
		standing there
			to rub your antlers
bending
		turning where you stand to rub
			your antlers

.

Song of a Dead Man

I do not want these flowers
		moving
			but the flowers
want to move
		I do not want these flowers
			moving
but the flowers
		want to move
			I do not want these flowers
moving
		but the flowers
			want to move
out in the flower world
		the dawn
			over a road of flowers
I do not want these flowers
		moving
			but the flowers
want to move
		I do not want these flowers
			moving
but the flowers
		the flowers
			want to move

.

now the cloud 
		will break
			the cloud will break
& now
		the cloud will break
			the cloud
will break
		& now the cloud
			will break
the cloud will break
		there in the flower world
			under the dawn
this pale blue cloud
		will be grey water
			at its peak
the mist will reach
		will rain down
			shining
& reaching bottom
		now the cloud
			will break
the cloud will break
		& now
			the cloud will break
the cloud
		will break

-------------------------------------

The Flower World settings were derived from traditional Yaqui Deer Dance songs in literal translations by Carleton Wilder, et al.