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THE BALLAD OF YUKON JACK IT'S 40 BELOW AND THE RAIN'S LIKE ICE AND THE WIND CUTS LIKE SLITHERING STEEL, AND LIVING IS HELL IN A YUKON PASS WHERE NOTHING BUT NUMB CAN YOU FEEL. THE SUN IS A JOKE, LIKE ONE LITTLE LIGHT SET IN THE FROZEN SKY, AND THE BLEAKNESS OF LIFE STARES YOU RIGHT IN THE FACE OFFERING YOU A NEW CHANCE TO DIE. BUT THE DOGS ARE FAITHFUL, SUCH A COURAGEOUS LOT THEY LIVE FOR THE FROZEN TRAIL AND THEY FACE THE ICE AND FROZEN WIND AND SOMEHOW THEY KNOW THEY CAN'T FAIL. SO HERE'S TO A RACE THAT'S NEVER WON IN THE HEART OF A YUKON JACK, AND THE DOG'S KNOW IT WELL AS THEY LIVE TO TELL BEYOND DEATH IN THE ASTRAL BACK. THIS IS THE PLACE OF ILL CONTENT WHERE CHANCE HAS NOT GOT A NAME, AND THE GOING OR COMING IS BASED UPON EXACTLY HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME. SO BE IT A RACE OR A DIATROD THE STORY IS WRITTEN WELL, IN THE SOULS OF MEN TOO COLD TO GRIN IN THE NIGHT OF A FROZEN HELL. SO I SET ME JAW AND I SPOOKED THE DOGS AND THE SLED LIKE A NARROW BAND, CUT THROUGH SNOW AND ICE AND WIND LIKE GOD'S ALMIGHTY HAND. AND I NARROWED ME EYES INTO TWO LITTLE SLITS AS ME FURROWED BROW HUNG LOW, FOR HERE IN THE YUKON IS THE ONLY LIFE THAT A YUKON JACK CAN KNOW! SO WHEN YOU BLEED ME AT MY DEATH THIS WILL HAVE TO SUFFICE-- THAT YUKON JACK HAD NERVES OF STEEL AND BLOOD AS COLD AS ICE. HE DIDN'T SHIRK A MIDNIGHT GIN OR A LADY IN WAITING THERE, AND SOME SAY HE WAS A HELLUVA' MAN WHO DIDN'T GIVE A DAMN OR A CARE. EXCEPT FOR HIS DOGS, HIS DELIGHT AND A SLED TO SLIDE BEHIND, WITH A GOAL IN HIS EYE HE'D SET HIS TEETH TO ALL ELSE HE WAS BLIND. THEN CAME THE TIME THEY SAID HE DIED OUT ON THE FROZEN TUNDRA ALL ALONE, THEY SEARCHED FOR DAYS AND HAD TO ADMIT THAT JACK AND THE DOGS WERE GONE. WHAT THEY COULDN'T TELL, I'LL WRITE IT WELL BE DAMNED IF YOU KNOW WHO I AM, IF YOU OPEN YOUR EYE YOU MIGHT SPY ME OUT THERE CARVING THE LAND. JUST YUKON JACK AND ME REAL LIVE DOGS AND A BEAR-SKINNED COVERED SLED, I TELL YOU NOW YUKON'S ALIVE IN THE PLACE WHERE THEY SAY HE'S DEAD. A MAN'S GOTTA DO WHAT A MAN'S GOTTA DO AND DEATH HAS TO STEP ASIDE, FOR MEN LIKE YUKON DON'T UP AND STOP JUST BECAUSE THEY UP AND DIED. SO, HERE'S TO YOU WHO READ MY WORDS WRITTEN BY MY ICY HAND, WITH FROZEN FINGERS TOO NUMB TO FEEL TO MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND. BUT I'LL CHANCE BY FAR THAT I'M NOT A LIAR AS THESE WORDS IN A HEART DOTH MAKE, A MAN TAKE HOLD OF HIS OWN SOUL WHEN A CHOICE COMES FOR HIM TO TAKE. HE'LL RECALL YUKON JACK IN THE DAYS OF HIS ICE COLD STORM AND EVERY MILE THAT JACK DID TAKE WILL BE A MEMORY TO KEEP HIM WARM. |
Additional Notes:
THE BALLAD OF YUKON JACK HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN TWO OR THREE PLACES ON THE WEB, AND OTHER PLACES I DO NOT RECALL.
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