Half Hidden

To be a Shaman
Is to be "He who holds himself
Half hidden."
To be able to see
A hole in the ice
As an opportunity,
To discern
Which of your
Friends are Seals
Or Bears wearing
The skins of Men,
To be able to escape
Clever traps made
Of midnight sun
And cure the sick
With a seal-bone rattle,
But not too well.
But a Shaman who
Remains half hidden
Has a handful of shadows.
I am no Shaman,
But neither am I ever
Fully exposed.
It is easy to hide
In obvious places.
Once you are hidden,
All other hidden things
Become seen.
That is why
To be a Shaman
"He who hides himself
Must do so
In the uncanny
Hiding place."