Yebichei* at Shiprock,
dancing, chanting, bringing rain,
chanting, dancing Yebichei,
their dance brings down the rain.
Stumblebum at Shiprock,
cigarette a second nose,
asking for a match,
so he can light his nose.
Yebichei, up and down,
chanting, dancing, bringing rain,
stumblebum among the crowd,
he tries to light his nose.
Author's Note: Yebichei = masqueraders.
Shiprock is a lone peak jutting out of the arid plain of the Navajo Nation in north-east New Mexico. It is an important cultural and religious site for the Navajo.
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