An Unquestionable Answer

The Navajo soul staring stories into the fire.
A wall of cricket song, wolf song and wind.
His shield is his song and his feathers and drum
and his prayers to the spirit of this ancient dirt.
But the tomb of his drum was, in secret,
beneath his in-turned eyes,
a question.

Are you there?

You say it might be better to wander high halls of stone
lined with lamps, wooden pews
Gregorian chants proclaiming good news,
but not too good-- Careful.
"Belief is suffering."

And every echo of every note on every wall
of cricket song, wolf song, and wind
is only a shrill question answered by itself.

And the Ya Sin,
Mele Pule, Euripide's plea, and King David's harp--
A mountain of songs of holy answers
that reach to God's reaching hand.
But in the roots, the caves, the core,
where nothing is certain
a question of doubt lingers and gnaws
and gnaws.