it is the alaskan shake where the wits are the cold ones that make the heart strings break and twist into little pieces and snap like a brittle shoelace which is a good thing too sometimes it s a good thing when the cold has kept you paralyzed from taking action causing pain like the slumbering stature you refrain people recognize you in the night they recognize you re wrong they recognize you re right even when you feel wrong it s the reason they listen when you make a song yes it s the reason they listen to you when you make a song and the firelight that warms your toes down in the lamplight down under the limelight let the firelight warm your toes take good care of your little digits though until the numbness goes whistle the wind whistle the wind whistle the wind blows inside your head it is the alaskan lake where the waters are colder than the risk you take where the night is long and where you huddle for a long time and contemplate and the time comes for actions but the actions is a hurried motion oh no and the firelight that warms your feet crackles louder all the more when you try to be discreet before the morning light a group of black swallows congregated at the burying ground where they laid your great uncle dismayed at the memory of the late great surgeon admiring and fearful was the urchin at one your grandmother while she was living so much one of the swallows seemed to cough and splutter while the others watched not frantically one of the swallows flew into the tree another swallow leaned against the crutch suddenly the waters surged and fro our of the clear and grey mist came the ghost of the early morning ghost was speaking like a bell in the clear and silent the voice you know it well stand up little boys and be peaceful stand up little girls and be peaceful take a drink when the water is warm remember the old ghost the night of release from the storm she is the warm hearted one my old great great great great great great grandmother mother mother mother my old late great great great great great grandmother mother mother mother