Tuesday, November 1, 2016

First Genesis

"Which came first - the caterpillar or the butterfly?"

© 2016 David Prashker
To listen to an audio recital of the poem, click here












In the beginning was the myth:
   the red earth fashioned from the grey shore
   the west wind that fanned the fire
   the seven stars gathered round the moon’s orb
   that burned
   and smouldered
   cleaving the night’s pitch darkness
   into a white hot sun

In the beginning was the flame:
   the white ash that settled on the red earth
   the slick tongue that licked the darkness clean
   the dense smoke eclipsing the moon’s brightness
   that paled
   and shrivelled
   opening the sun’s first flower
   in the blossom of the night’s clear dawn

In the beginning was the light:
   the white pearls that floated in the clear pool
   the still breeze that cooled the stars’ fury
   the steel claw that crushed the morning’s shadow
   and fell
   and shattered
   wrecking the moon’s lost voyage
   into the increasing day

Hail Utu son of Inanna!
Hail Osiris son of Isis!
Hail Argaman son of Man!

Light that is born of darkness
   day that is born of night
      sun that is born of moon
         world that is born of nothing -

                              all hail!



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