Tag: Ancient Mariner

            Chicken Little could have scratched for worms, hatched chicks, and lived out her life unperturbed. Instead, an acorn fell and hit her on the head, and she determined the sky was falling. She grabbed her purse and ran to tell the king.
            Other hapless poultry joined the histrionic procession. A wily fox lured them aside, took the contents of their wallets, and ate them.
            The fox returned to the castle. “I love conspiracy theories,” he exclaimed as he posed for pictures of himself playing golf.
            “I’m a fantastic poser,” he said to the photographers. “If these portraits don’t measure up, you’ll be my next meal.”

The Grapes of Wrath

Acorns and apples, peaches and pears. They fall.
What we make of this is not all there is to the story.
Fermentation is an option.

The flesh is willing, but timing is everything.
The bearing of fruit, oh the delicate dance
of chance and bees and early frost. So much is lost
along the Way, trampled under foot
or eaten by gleaners, birds, and bruins,

but seeds have the final word. 
What appears to be in ruins is fodder for the sprouting.

Of course, there must be rain.

There must be rain. And it must fall
hither and yon, far beyond 
what you’ve ever considered
as anything you could love.
 
We’ve laden the sky with satellites, 
weaponry, smoke, and terror.
These things will fall back down 
to bruise our bodies, scorch our lungs, 
and worry us to death.
 
We’ve misplaced our feeble hope. 
It dwells in the eternal churning 
of very troubled waters.

            Using passive sonar, it’s possible to estimate the depths of these waters. Humans arrived without fanfare or legs, and newborns are mostly water. 
            It’s tempting but futile to sacrifice your tongue to walk on land searching for love. Tempting but fruitless to kill the troubling albatross. Ask the Mermaid or Mariner. The penalties are steep.
            “Water, water, everywhere. But not a drop to drink,” laughs the Plagiarist. “I’ve placed valves in your heart, so the blood only flows one way, thus saving you from the ragged passions of retrograding and regret.”
            “And I’ve created flumes to route it back.” I reply. “This time, the sky is falling.”
            “There’s no such thing as sky,” the Coauthor laughs. I notice the gleaming teeth.
            “You’re going to eat me, aren’t you?”

            As the Coauthor takes my hand, the ice in my veins begins to melt, and we wade through the slush toward the table, set for two.  I realize that we are each other’s meal.
            “Shall I order wine?” the Coauthor asks.
            “Sure,” I nod.” The intensity of a Petite Sirah sounds good.”