Mourning

Rumble, crash! When the deer falls, family, friends, and strangers will gather to lick its skull, and with fires lit, arms locked over shoulders, they will dance the can-can of mourning together. Rumble, thud! When the deer rises again, they will hastily extinguish the flames, exhale a long, deep sigh, drink the decayed ashes, and imagine the ribs they held onto until the moment before sleep.