1. KANAWHA BLACK

Every step along this winding path leads back to where the ghosts of men reside
On the ridges where the vultures fly, I hear them below:
In rising smoke, in mounds of earth where the broken bundles lie
In winter's thaw, revealing secrets through the land
Kanawha black, a source of power in my hand
Within these symbols carved in stone
We find the hills are showing the way, the lost living path of the past
Now submerged beneath the swollen banks, effigies that hold the truth for all time
The hidden meaning only seen from the sky and felt deep inside:
Inscribed in the soul, tattooed in the flesh for the spirits to guide
Burnt into the mind, always hearing its call
Kanawha black, a memory left for us all
Beyond the windswept horizon, unveil what no one can see, no one can see...
Perched atop the precipice, seeing figures through the mist
A bend in the river arcing waves to the south
Long ago on sharpened stakes, severed heads of enemies
Gave warnings in the rancid blood that spilled from their mouths
Fires of the distant past, seared into memories,
Are found within the embers on the shore
A yearning to return to the hills of Apalačia
Atn wemi lakwa forevermore...
The answers still remain unknown
These signs will fade with winter's return as mysteries woven in time
Every step along this lonely trail scrapes the surface where the ancestors died
In the valleys where coyotes hide, I hear them above:
In falling rains, in howling winds sending flames soaring high
In summer's haze, arcane songs fill the night
Kanawha black, transforming darkness to light
The answers still remain unknown
These signs shall fade with winter's return as mysteries woven in time


2. THE MURKY DEEP

At mid-day rest the sky had turned to black along a stream near Nemacolin's Path
An antlered form then surfaced, lurking at the edge
Crushing the neck in its panicked leap, dragging it down to the murky deep
With head of the buck and tail of the snake, man and beast - their flesh to take
In the Yough' and under the land, heeding the call of a dark command
There, shivering out of reach, I saw magic summoned from the depths
Arise from slumber to ease the hunger... the clouds have gathered


3. I CAN DIE BUT ONCE

Heads hang low, patience wearing thin
Branches grow but the sky is growing dim
Take these words and throw them in the fire
There'll be no peace resounding through the land
Bind their hands and keep them as your prisoners
And, if they die, there'll be reprisal
Upon the land, by the hundreds here they came
Seasons pass but the anger stays the same
Within those walls he told them "You may kill me...
I can die but once, it's all the same"
Beside his son he lay with bullets in his chest
And to this day we feel his sorrow
Stood his ground at the sound of the door that had broken in
Powder burst into flame and he fell to his knees
Winds of war will sweep out from the lands of the western fields
The cold breath of revenge will be lurking behind every tree, they will see what will be
Hey old one, go release your spirit
You've lived a life of strength in times of war
Now fly high with dignity and honor
Like an arrow shot straight into the sky, straight to the sky


4. A CURE FOR THE WINTER PLAGUES

Releasing the breath of creation
Healer within the soil
You stand in defiance of frigid winds
A cure for the winter plagues


5. VISIONS, DREAMS, AND SIGNS

Alone you sit, o winged one, atop your wooden throne
Your kindred flock that roams the hills have made their presence known
Guardians in forest mist who pierce the calm of night
You mourn the dead and stir the soul with shrieks within your flight
Speaking in tongues of man in the depths of sleep
Transcending the realms of earth and spirit at dawn
Transforming to human form in emerging starlight
Channeling voices to hearts through visions, dreams, and signs
As the echoes dance below the moonlight's evening glow
Between the river and the hills live hawk and owl and crow
The messengers of truth that know the land that lies beyond
Connect the unknown world to where our feet can tread upon
Feathers found that lead the way to mountain, stream, and lake
Are tied onto my walking staff to guide the path I take
The leaves I carry at my side are for your wailing cries
And for the gift of second sight, you've given to my eyes
Songs of night - can you hear their cold, dismal cry?
Sounds so pure that are scattered throughout the sky
In the air are voices from the oldest times
Calling to the lost instructive spirit mind
Channeling voices through visions, dreams, and signs


6. GENERATIONS OF WAR

Ferocity in the veins
Passed down through the generations
Centuries of ancestral hatred
A way of life, the will to survive through the burdens of war
Oh, father, lead me through this bloodstained land
The way your father made his final stand
In the undergrowth a face appears and fills my mind with dread
From the land where I draw breath, I hear the words that the elders said
Yesterday a child, today a man; I am and fire into flesh
Grapeshot rains down
Gunsmoke burns the lungs
Generations of war
Pride and fear in every face
A violent clash consumes this place
A powder charge ignites its blast
And every stand is the last


7. ACROSS THE DIVIDE

With fingers numb on snowy grass
The circle glows and shivers pass
A heart at home in rays of heat
As embers thaw your frozen feet
So live your life that this rising smoke will carry the voice of your heart!
You have traveled far and the day is long
The burdens of winter refuse to subside
Alone with the stars and far from home
Preparing your passage across the divide
The hearth reduced to ashes in the blue December dawn
The morning light reveals that this trail meanders on
The call of new horizons where land and sky divide
Gives purpose to the journey and wanderlust inside
"So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart!" (Tecumseh)
You have rested now and the day's begun
The snow in the valley entrances your eyes
A forest alive; a glimpse of hope
Securing your passage across the divide