In The Long Bright Days Poem by Francis Poole

An Eskimo looks
on the long bright day
and licks
his ivory knife
sharpening the edge
with frozen saliva.

Today's hunt
will be his last
and tonight
he will drag his body
through a blizzard
to the camp
of invisible hunters.

They will sing old songs
and dance
and throw strips of seal meat
to their dogs.

Tomorrow
he will awaken
with great thirst.
His lead dog
the bitch, half wolf,
will refuse
to go any further
and he will strike her
breaking his hand.

This has happened thousands
of times.

--Francis Poole