Another sought-purpose of the Year Walk was to catch visions of natural disasters that could happen in the new year, such as fires, blizzards, and floods. Seeing these ‘warnings’ along one’s journey could allow for the community to prepare for the coming hardship and bolster food stores.
IV
This road as led me to a grim sight.
Bodies are strewn about in the snow.
But the mountainside ahead is what takes my attention.
The roar of the pyre rumbles the ground, the smoke choking out the stars, the blinding glow casting shadows like daylight on the snow.
That familiar procession has joined me here, as well.
A beaked fourth member seems focused on the body of the wolf.
The others’ gaze stays fixed on the road ahead of me.
It feels like an eternity since I’ve seen beneath the snow, yet the frozen wake has parted for these hoofprints.
They are seared into the asphalt itself.
Perhaps these hoofprints will offer some guidance in my journey.
Nature will need catharsis.