Why is tonight such a dark night br What is it trying to hide? br Sweeping a dark velvet shroud shutting all light br Invoking the restful spirits to rise br br Rise, rise, slowly they rise br Mortals like us standing in a hush br The shaman suddenly lets out a cry br His chants gone awry in a sudden rush br br They swoop, they circle, they speak without words br A sudden breeze blows, an icy shudder flows br The owl lets out a shriek, so do other birds br The demons in the mortals sneak out in rows br br The wolves come out from the men br To join the dance of its hosts br Circling over the body of the shaman br Being feasted by the ghosts br br The men stand rooted in a respectful trance br The moon slides in to watch casting its silvery light br To see this orgy of the dark, to see them all dance br As the fog creeps in and then out, they have floated out of sightbr br Renu Rakheja a.k.