Born simply
To a backwoods tribe
A gift from many honours
From many Gods
A messenger of Balders spirit my itch
Asunder is my mind
Through twelve year old eyes - amazed
I watched - daily
Slab by slab
Pillar by pillar
The bridging of our canyon
Our people
My family
Soiled
Saddened
Watched the world approach
Our laws
The law!
Our way of life
Its will
Slowly conquered
My sisters’ son
Astonished, excited
Watched the path of my future
Magically appear
Before my eyes
Fear
Oh fear
Became my people’s god
And by revelation
Command!
To remove any rebellious thoughts
We were mated
Became Gerda's
- my Grandfathers youngest -
first lover
Her large breasts
Disguised her youth
My frightened, unknowing frenzy
Stole her innocence
Then came the world
And it's hot breath
It's ways
Our war lost
Our people fled into the mountains
While I
Of two children
And fourteen years
Under a high moon
Set off
Crossed the bridge
To see
To know
The God whom calls me
To revisit memory in my future
To find forever in a minute
Three days walk
Scant provisions gone
Hunger joined my walk
Became my companion
A day later, I entered a great city
Bewildered
I wandered, unnoticed
Like a ghost
Slowly
My thoughts became hazed
Confused
Great noises took my senses
I coward
Hid within my soul
Mad!
Madness overtook
Led me
Down a dark path
I shivered
Staggered over rodents
Smelt feces
And the rotting of feeling
Voices surrounded me
Harsh, loud - laughing
Without felicitation
Struck!
Struck by heartless lust
I collapsed
Unable to escape evils want
Pain
Full and endless
Within my soul
Found me hidden
Hand of claws
Reached out
Tore away a chunk of my flesh
Gouged from my chest
Then swiftly, dug deep into my guts
Probed upward for my heart
My hand went up, palm forward
I called out
Then sudden silence
Painlessness
I floated amongst stars
Faintly hearing the attack continued
On my helpless body
Morning’s light sought me out
Found me naked
Beaten, ravaged
Hidden amongst refuse
An ant, created its own path into my eye
Stung
I rejected its advances
Crushed the ant between two fingers
Foolish nymph
I rose purposely to my knees
Blood
Mixed with excrement
Trickled
Down the inside of my thigh
I fell back to the concrete
Overcome by burning pains
Cried
Time, threw a blanket over me
Rescued
By strangers - spirits?
I, febrile
Lost days to recovery
In my sleep, I became solemn witness
Accessory
Gerda!
Left with sons
Abandoned to your Grandfathers keeping
Do not cry
As you do, I feel the high mountain cold
Why do you stray to cliffs edge?
No!
Gerda!
Hear me
Love be not lost
Wasted
I did not reject thee
Visions hath taken me
Let memory not betray love
Let memory not sleep now
When last we knew each other
Did you not love the Pharaoh?
Did his voice not light great fires in your belly?
And were you not his favourite?
Even during times of Dionysia?
Scented by oils of petals
Shared, yet knowing
By a mere glance
Gerda
Why do you not hear me?
Our sons
Adieu
Too flight
In the heavens
Or in life on earth
We shall meet again
Trance broken
Released from fetters
I awoke
In a room striped of dignity
Dying
Then
Before me, appeared my saviour
Wrinkled skin, hardened, and proud to sight
I closed my eyes
Maintained my secrecy
Day bowed to night
Movement ceased
I gathered clothing
Slipped out into the hour
Running to escape the city
Asphalt - pasture - forest
Night - day - night
In the forest
Deep in the forest
Calmed by sleep
Animal, nocturnal, welcomed
Quiet noise
Then peace be broken
A rumble?
Voices? laughter?
Is there no where?
Not invaded - trampled?
Resist I could not
Advance I did
Perched down
Hidden
Up to cabins window
"Tyle!"
Laughter
Two men
Dark
Two ladies
White
"Drink some of this"
"What is it, Tyle?"
"Perry an Whiskey"
Overcome they found their jig
Then
Paired in silence
Alone
Two, lay on cot
I, crouched below window
Tight to wall
Brown skin?
So different?
Ten! ten!
They are
We are
The same
Voices broke my foolishness
I rose to see
Held was I
Do they obey the law?
Excited - afraid
Naked they were
Her voice begged uncertainty to end
She sought clarity of senses
He climbed onto her small bosom
Dementia took all three of us
Her limbs - parted
His force began
Desperate
Struggle
Then, full
His muscled brown haunches rose
Plunged with the power of a God
Her sounds reached to heaven
He continued on
His pace swift
His movements strong and sure
Her nails drew blood from his shoulder blades
He rose up to knees
His large arms reached down
Surrounded her limbs
Pulled them up
Continued his pace
My sight became unaware
A past time, lost, appeared
A great man
A boatman
Of enormous size and strength
Leader on the oar
Powering a boat up the Nile
Sight returned
Her hands gripping tightly
Bars of the bed, overhead
His movements gained strength
Her neck arched
Eyes closed
Her voice echoed off the mountains
Still without hesitation he continued
Every muscle flexing
Defined
At its proper time
Her scream
Mouth open
As if unable to draw breath
Then him
Movements quickening
Ruthless
Her head moved side to side
Uncontrolled
Her sounds
Sweet
Louder and louder
Movement ceased
All his muscles flexed at once
Suddenly!
Where had they come from?
When did they come?
Men in white
Angry
Behind my sight
Ghosts of substance
From him?
Anger swept me up
A still mist enhanced
The night
Bound at wrists
Lifted to chair
Above the confusion
I watched the spectacle
Ghosts with animal skin feet?
Different of step
Some heavy - thud
Some light - unheard
Tyle, we share same branch
His proud eyes
Wild
Moist was his forehead
Tyle
Don't fear
Thick oak
Certainly strong enough
To break our fall
Was I speaking?
In silence
Tyle your beloved
Tied around tree
Bare
Sweet bottom
And the other too
Large buttocks Crack! crack!
With a quick light touch
Thin breaks appeared in skin
Reddened lines - deep
Some brought blood
I am deaf!
Too tight is my collar
Crack! crack!
No, I hear
Not the voices
The switch
To each it continued
By the law?
Do they know the law?
Law made by mortals
Selfish
Their pain be wrong
The law is not truth
Truth so gentle
I await the painless words
"No!"
I began floating
Yet, air not flowing
I shall sleep
Despite the fall chill
A.D.
Arym woke first
Ra stung his eyes
Dust rose with him
He, the former patrician
Given to the sword
Most unlikely to revolt
A hard, firm wind blew through
Then went
Waking the rest of us
Redmask gained senses quickly
Scarred on chest and cheek
Guilty of past patricide
He made breakfast
Tyle
Victim of murther
Ate quietly
Strange is this place
Yet, I know I am too be here
Strange are those about me
Yet, I fear them not
I know them?
I know not how?
Strange
We share a quest
A path of idea's
Of different Gods
Time and origins
Yet, together we shall discover mystery
Rid of ground stiffness
Our bellies full
We set off
Down the path of Via Dolorosa
Each with his own shadow
The sand beneath our feet
Melted like snow
To water
A great body of water
Parched
We knelt down
Our hands dipped
We cupped and cradled the gift
Then drank and bathed
Satisfied
We resumed our journey
Walking, across the desert of water
Then nightfall
And the sand returned
Many days walk
Forgotten
Browned
We began our ascent
To a shear mountain face
Hand over hand
Stones sharp
Yet, although cut often
Deep
No blood dripped
Hands no longer touched stone
Taken to the clouds
Set down in a lush valley
Greeted, as if old friends
Hundreds at leisure
Perfect of flesh
A woman
Young, slender, full and beautiful
Smiling, touched my shoulder
"Do not fear, I am Shamarra"
"Where am I?"
Foolish meek words
"Er or Delphi?"
"How am I to know your heart?"
"I am not a priest!"
She laughed
"Let silence lead you"
My eyes strayed
The gift of a pleasant vision
Great edifice of stone and gold
Humble structures built circular
Built on the banks of the great river
Masons and smiths proud works
Years of leisure
Odd?
Off
At base of small hill
A lectern of simple stone
Stands alone?
No temple? No reason?
It sits like driftwood
Washed up on a shore
Without intent
Days passed without want
Awe turned to thought
Arym sought meaning in ancient scripts
Redmask danced for his gods
Tyle spoke of speakeasy
Found love with a golden warrior - Tammara
She, tall, muscular - powerful
Mute, but to the look
Shamarra - alive
Became my friend
"Look!
Behold the Sumerian
Simple, beautiful man
I long for his company
The luxury of his love
The pain of his power
Am I evil?"
Too want?
Wantonly?
It is my right as a princess virgin
Too be taken
Not by a feeble man
Who would leave me smirched
But, by a great man
With a lions mercy
And passion
Let my cries be heard throughout the kingdom
His member
It is great and proud
A giant on its own
I know
Secretly
I watched him bath
Up river
Oh what have I said
Do not betray my confession
Promise! promise me!"
I nodded and smiled
She laughed
"Come - lay back
Let me soothe your yearnings
By my mother's teachings
Gifted woman"
From a flask
Wise in content
She dripped scented oil
Onto a finger
Touched to my lips
Tattered cloth pulled away
She poured oil abundantly
On my belly
With hands gentle and firm
Began too entrance me
Chest to thighs
I felt tingle
Her lips soft and warm
To my sensitive head
Bewildered
Lost in pleasures realm
Beautiful garden
So full of silent groans
I released quests labour
"Awaken sleeping fool
They have come
The festival shall be tonight!"
Then I saw him
Timid man
Touching the flock around him
A calm, pained smile
Then the woman
Plainly beautiful
Equal in all fullness
"He is just a man?"
"Her a woman?"
I asked
"No!"
He began sharply
"Listen too my words
She is Arym
And Tyle
And you
And none of you
She is all of you
He is Tammara
And Mary
And I
And none of us
He is all of us"
I drifted away
Came to rest against a far off tree
After a time
He approached
Sat quietly
"I beg your questions?"
With a beggar’s sureness, I began
"Tell me, why is a bird a bird?"
"What do you wish it to be?"
What was his answer?
"Why not a horse?"
"I cannot speak Sinhala, prophet!"
"Nor do your thoughts fly"
What gibberish had he said?
"Imagine a stone thrown by innocent arm
Picture its path
Killing a butterfly
In passing
Then falls to the ground
Without knowledge of a crime
Does the stone feel?
Or the arm?
The man?"
"Stones cannot feel?
The man must"
"What shall he feel?"
"I do not know?"
"Then you do not know your heart
Both sorrow and pleasure
A man must burden
As he enjoys pleasure
Equal
This is truth
This is love"
Then he was silent
Then he gone
Touched
My schooled heart
Not formal, but informal
Free too love
Justice is not my law
It is my own heart
I am no one's hand
Nor subject too
Slap the air
Or yourself if you must
The festival goes on
Within the great hall
Passion shared
Without plague
In a room
As I passed
Shamarra and Sumerian
She smiled my way as he mounted
Her cry shook stone
Continued as I sought out
Redmasks honoured dagger
I took pace
Toward the sacred stone
My way clear
Then he was there
I stopped
Our eyes touched
He smiled
I continued on
Knelt
Cut deep across wrists
Dripped blood over stone
Took dagger, high, between hands
Hesitated not
I offer the lamb
Too end ignorance
Too awaken spirit
That it may return to mortal
I see your one
Why do you send false gods?
My heart - false notion
Has led me across
Canyon bridged
In jean overalls
Barefoot
I kick up dust
Off the road
On the other side