Genius and High Intelligence

The thing that differs a man of high intelligence
With a man of genius
Is that a man of high intelligence
Disdains the greater bulk of humankind
While a genius learns to accept their follies.

It often is this distinction that 
Allows a man of higher intelligence
To write the most scathing rebukes of human kind.
The Genius, however, finds their follies too far removed,
So therefore, gets sucked into his work
And never meddles in their affairs
For he understands them better
Than the man of high intelligence.

The man of high intelligence, however
Is in a state of strange benefit
In that he is almost close enough
To the average man
That he can understand their follies
So therefore, steer them where he will.
For he neither understands their follies
But like a Daemon
Shares the folly, but has the intelligence
To resent it in himself.
Therefore, men of high intelligence
Are usually who end up in the leader class
While a Genius is too far removed
For he sees neither the flaws of the common lay
In him, but sees in them something
Affable, which he can study from afar
Like he always does with his instruments.

Beat i

A beat poet.
A lot of people don't realize that.
Writing in the Neo-classical style,
Or as one writer put it, 
The New Classical.

Never mind convention,
And say what's felt.

KLF and 2 Unlimited
Camila Cabello
The Eagles, Johnny Cash
And Tchaikovsky

It infuses the writing
With its beats
With its sound.

Write large, 
Write small.
Be simple
Complex
Be grounded.

Beauty comes in every style
Yet make the words beautiful
Or the style is worthless.
Imbue the sounds of the art of music
Put it into the work
And listen to the lyrics.

Shifting, making melody, changing the rhythms.
Want the strong stuff
Sing the melodies.

Get a beat, get a rhythm
Meditate, get lost in the writing.

A simple poem sometimes is best.
A simple word,
A simple sound.
Know it,
Let it be felt.

One other thing.
Get the "I" out of writing.

Sir Lucan and the Sphynx

Canto I

Upon the pass there came Sir Lucan 
And His squire Beowulf the Less.
Beowulf the Less had a page
Gregory.

Gregory, the page, armored Beowulf
From head to toe.
He latched on helmet,
Shield, shoe, girded Beowulf with
His sword Gwyndylyn.
Beowulf had aegis
Strapped to his chest.
However, Beowulf's helmet was weakened
By a blow taken in mortal combat.
Beowulf had slewn a man down in dishonorable show
Of arms, where he and a knight Valiant
Took to blows in the ring of combat.

This knight threw down his gauntlet
So Beowulf picked it up.
Sir Lucan was Beowulf's 
Knight, and this knight beckoned 
Beowulf to stay home,
And not to pick up the gauntlet.
Yet, Beowulf picked up the gauntlet;
And thus, battle was struck.

The two warriors showed, down in the arena
While Lucan watched, with scowl on his mug.
Arthur sanctioned the tournament
As Page Gregory was with damsel
Thus, he did not throw in his lot to stop the tournament.

It took to blows, the black knight, 
Called Sir Rancor, first took his sword
And smote it down upon Beowulf's head.
Beowulf took the blow;
Sowith, his helmet cracked;
Thus, Beowulf became wroth
Who took his shield and smote
Sir Rancor upon the breast, and 
Smote down his sword upon Sir Rancor's head.
Blood poured out of Sir Rancors joints
As Sir Rancor took to a blow
At Beowulf's shield
Bowing the shield with his chain mace.
Beowulf, without helmet nor shield 
Acquiesced for the battle,
And took his sword and ran it through Sir Rancor's
Joint, by the armpit.
Sir Rancor fell wounded,
But took a dagger from his leg
And shafted the weapon
Into Beowulf's ankle
Breaking his shoe's belt.

Beowulf was uninjured; however,
Taking his sword, he smote it down upon Sir Rancor's head.
The knight fell, to wit, Beowulf drove his sword
Into the heart of Sir Rancor
Who lie on the ground, wounded.
Arthur saw that the knight was dead
So called the tournament closed
Where Beowulf lost all his armor
And Sir Rancor was lain smitten on the field of battle.

Beowulf expected to be knighted for the feat
However, Arthur saw no honor in this feud.
Thus, Beowulf was yet still a squire.
Beowulf saw the disdain on Lucan's face
And saw he had disgraced his knight valiant.
Lucan who would be later slain in battle
To the Caerbanog, was disgruntled with Beowulf.
For some say, this led Lucan to the Caerbanog's forest
For he would no longer listen to sweet Beowulf.
Page Gregory was not there to help Beowulf
And Lucan was furious with Beowulf
For accepting the challenge of so unworthy a knight.

It came to be that Beowulf and Lucan had a quest
Together. To shut up the Nile Dragon
Who would attempt to Swallow the Daughter of Zion
On that day. Beowulf and Lucan left 
In their armor, and Gregory
Left Beowulf with these words:
"Lucan cannot be trusted,
"Do not believe a word he says
"And be wary and wily of the things he does.
"For Lucan is a savvy knight
"Who only thinks of himself."

Beowulf considered it,
But knew it was not true.
However, Lucan was furious with Beowulf
For smiting the knight Rancor.
Thus, Beowulf and Lucan set off on their journey.
They would crusade down to Egypt.

The Nile Dragon knew that they came,
Thus he employed Nebo and Abaddon 
To come 
With the Elf Meogic
And thus, cause Lucan more anger
At his squire.

Nebo came with his daughters
Seventeen Thousand
And Abaddon came with only himself.
The two were chosen to be Pharaohs
Kings of Egypt,
And if they would slay Beowulf
They would retain Egypt
For themselves.

Canto II

It came to be, that in the salt valleys of
Meggedon, Abaddon sought
To conspire and therefore slay Beowulf the Less.
Lucan and Beowulf---Gregory not behooved to come,
For he could not---
Were on steed, Beowulf with Chantz
And Lucan with his steed Crevan.
Where Beowulf camped,
Abaddon snatched him from his bed
And took Beowulf to a village
Where Beowulf would dream half his life away
For sleep was better than the waking hour;
Beowulf was captured by Abaddon
Hencewith, he was brought to the low valleys.

Now it was Abaddon who travelled with Lucan.
Abaddon filled his mouth with many flatteries
Toward Lucan.
The two set out on the quest, but
Abaddon was foolish, and no wisdom was in him.
He did not slay Beowulf
For he enjoyed the man's riddles.

Thencewith, Abaddon walked with Sir Lucan
Through the valleys of Meggedon
Until they came to Africa's Gate.
The two passed through
But Abaddon was exceedingly happy,
And more foolish than Lucan remembered
Beowulf to be.
However, Lucan fell to love Abaddon---
Because of his joy---
Like he were a son, and so pardoned Abaddon.
For Lucan was enchanted.

They walked for days
Through the desert
With its barren crags
And salt rocks.
It came upon the warfield, Nebo
And his hordes of Daughters.
Nebo, on his steed with leather skin,
Was untransmogrified by the elf jewel;
Thus, showed himself for what he truly be.
He was leathery, and his ears a point;
He was fat, and round, and gluttonous,
His teeth were yellow
And his lips were thin.
His skin the color of ash,
He had a face which was horrible
To behold.

Lucan mounted up on Crevan, 
And hoisted her javelin.
"Beowulf, I have enjoyed your company
"On this journey, yet now I go out to ride
"Against this beast."
Abaddon creased his lips into a grin
Because he had loosened Lucan's armor
When placing it upon him
As was a squire's duty.
Lucan hoisted up, and flung for Nebo.
The seventeen thousand daughters of Nebo 
Flung down the mountain
Into the bowled valley.

The battle was gruesome
As blood poured into rivers
Through the ravines.
Lucan had slaughtered so many
Of Nebo's daughters.
Nebo, thus, flung into a fit of rage
And transformed himself
Into a Giant.
Lucan fell to a flight yet
Lanced the Giant's foot;
However, Lucan's armor joints came undone in battle
And he was bare before the Giant's wrath.

Abaddon danced a wicked dance
And joined the fight against Lucan.
He rushed at Lucan on Chantz
However, Chantz knew 'twas Abaddon.
So, Chantz stopped in mid gallop;
Sofore, throwing Abaddon off his back.
Lucan retreated toward Abaddon
Trampling him with horse's hooves
Seeing that he was not Beowulf
But was Abaddon. Lucan fell into a sore fright
That he was without his squire.
Thus, Lucan galloped as fast as he could out of the battlefield.
He had found himself in the Nile,
And so discovered the black, fertile soil.
There began to grow a vine from it
And it shot out large, and heaved itself
Upward. It grew tall into the sky
Like the Tower of Babble,
And it sprouted smaller vines from without it,
Lit; it were starflesh.
The Sphynx was spreading his vine
All throughout the world
A verdant weed, it
Raised into the sky, and spread itself across the entirety of the earth.

Lucan felt frightened,
As he drew back on Crevan and galloped 
Toward his dominion.
Lucan was no coward but saw that this vine had spread
Throughout he whole of the world, 
And who was he to fight it?

Howsofore, there came one who was beautiful.
He took Lucan by the hand,
And told him,
"Do not give up on your son
"He needs you and your love at this very hour.
"For, Egypt is spreading its vine throughout the whole of the earth
"And you must help him
"By fighting back the fear
"Of this vine,
"To showing him that he is still loved."

Lucan had received a vision of Beowulf
Encased in a place where he was rendered useless.
Thus, Lucan had to go rescue him.
For Gregory could not
As only Lucan's love could free Beowulf from his curse.
Only Lucan's forgiveness, and alliance
Could free Beowulf from this unholy trap.

Canto III

It came to be that Sir Lucan travelled into 
The heart of Egypt,
To the Tombs of the ancient Pharaohs.
The Sphynx prowled
With shifting shoulder blades.
There rose mummies
From their crypts
Five of the pharaohs of the past.

The Sphynx spake,
"Lucan, if you can beat me
"I shall spare thee from the Caerbanog.
"And thy squire Beowulf shall live."

Lucan, upon Crevan, hoisted up his javelin.
"I will be angry with my squire
"For fighting his feud with the Knight Rancor.
"However, I see that he is a man.
"And he has made his own choices."

The Sphynx spake, 
"Choices, yes.
"He has made many choices,
"And smote down the knight Rancor.
"And for this, we see you cannot forgive him."

The mummies flung toward Lucan
And it was all Lucan could do to stay
Upon his steed.
He would slash the mummies
He would kill them
Only to have them resurrect themselves
With their moving limbs.

"You do not know the moegic of Egypt.
"These are stronger than Orcs
"And cannot be killed
"By one who harbors anger."

"Beowulf was my friend,
"My companion from long ago.
"Now, he is broody
"And sad, and I do not know if I can love him the same
"For his sadness is of his own making."

The Sphynx said,
"Then, Lucan, he shall die."

Lucan fell upon his knees
As Crevan Whinnied.
"He will die?"

"Of course, a man cannot bear the despair
"Of having one so close to him
"Perpetually angry.
"For, Beowulf is entrapped by his own despair.
"And that despair we are using to fuel
"The spreading of this vine
"Which shall feed on the world's joy
"And it shall replace all joy with despair
"Just like your son's.
"For his grief is a weapon
"We use to throw down the nations
"And to give them no joy henceforth.
"How can a man who is innocent
"Have no joy? It can only be
"That Pharaoh's vine
"Recompense the world
"Double for what it has done to Beowulf."

Lucan then spake,
"What has the world done to Beowulf?"

The Sphynx spake,
"The world?
"What had it done
"But cast him into shame
"Through its unforgiveness?
"Beginning with yours
"Which was harbored long before
"He smote down Sir Rancor.
"For, you had resented him
"Ever since he had chosen
"Gregory as his Page."

Nebo and Abaddon receded into the corridor
And drew their swords.
"Now, see, Lucan, I can save you
"From the Caerbenog,
"The Fairy lORD
"If you defeat me."

The Sphynx grew haughty.
"What are you Sphynx?"
Cried Lucan.
The Sphynx said,
"I? I am the flow of the times."

The five mummies flung forth
To maul Lucan
And Abaddon and Nebo 
Attacked her
At once.

It began to grow into a horrendous feud
As the seven fought mortal combat.
No matter how much they fought
The seven prevailed over Lucan.

Lucan saw the Sphynx 
Prowling like a lion
From without the battle.

"Yes, Lucan, I am the Zeitgeist.
"I am the thing you cleave to.
"Surrender Beowulf,
"For he is not your son."

Lucan cried out a mighty roar,
"Lucan is my son!"
And so she threw her lance
In a mighty strike against the Sphynx's 
Chest. It sunk deep into the Sphynx.
The Sphynx was smitten.
He fell dead upon the bier of the golden
Tombs. The Sphynx was dead.

There came from time the Caerbonog
As it spread forth from the vines.
For the vines were the Caerbonog.
It lit its fiery glow,
Yet, Beowulf flung from his sleep
Where the Caerbonog hid him.
Beowulf took Lucan
And galloped with him
From without the Pyramid.
The whole of Egypt quaked,
As Nebo and Abaddon
Rushed from the tombs.
Pharaoh was dead
And the mummies were crushed 
From beneath the pyramid's falling Aedicules.
The Caerbanog was spread throughout the whole land.
Abaddon and Nebo disappeared from without the pyramid.
After which, a quake,
And the Caerbanog fell 'pon
A hard fall;
Its verdant vines
Turned to ashen yellow.

"Wot not you that thou would have perished
"To this cruel vine
"Had you not saved me from this
"My spell?"
Spake Beowulf.

Lucan saw that the deuterocanons
Of the analogs of Fairyland
Were now altered.
The Caerbannog was defeated.
Thus, Beowulf could live his happy life.

Thus, Beowulf lived happily ever after.

Sir Lucan and the Sphynx Canto II

It came to be, that in the salt valleys of
Meggedon, Abaddon sought
To conspire and therefore slay Beowulf the Less.
Lucan and Beowulf---Gregory not behooved to come,
For he could not---
Were on steed, Beowulf with Chantz
And Lucan with his steed Crevan.
Where Beowulf camped,
Abaddon snatched him from his bed
And took Beowulf to a village
Where Beowulf would dream half his life away
For sleep was better than the waking hours;
Beowulf was captured by Abaddon
Hencewith, he was brought to the low valleys.

Now it was Abaddon who travelled with Lucan.
Abaddon filled his mouth with many flatteries
Toward Lucan.
The two set out on the quest, but
Abaddon was foolish, and no wisdom was in him.
He did not slay Beowulf
For he enjoyed the man's riddles.
Thencewith, Abaddon walked with Sir Lucan
Through the valleys of Meggedon
Until they came to Africa's Gate.
The two passed through
But Abaddon was exceedingly happy,
And more foolish than Lucan remembered
Beowulf to be.
However, Lucan fell to love Abaddon---
Because of his joy---
Like he were a son, and so pardoned Abaddon.
For Lucan was enchanted.

They walked for days
Through the desert
With its barren crags
And salt rocks.
It came upon the warfield, Nebo
And his hordes of Daughters.
Nebo, on his steed with leather skin.
Was untransmogrified by the elf jewel;
Thus, showed himself for what he truly be.
He was leathery, and his ears a point;
He was fat, and round, and gluttonous,
His teeth were yellow
And his lips were thin.
His skin the color of ash,
He had a face which was horrible
To behold.

Lucan mounted up on Crevan, 
And hoisted her javelin.
"Beowulf, I have enjoyed your company
"On this journey, yet now I go out to ride
"Against this beast."
Abaddon creased his lips into a grin
Because he had loosened Lucan's armor
When placing it upon him
As was a squire's duty.
Lucan hoisted up, and flung for Nebo.
The seventeen thousand daughters of Nebo 
Flung down the mountain
Into the bowled valley.

The battle was gruesome
As blood poured into rivers
Through the ravines.
Lucan had slaughtered so many
Of Nebo's daughters.
Nebo, thus, flung into a fit of rage
And transformed himself
Into a Giant.
Lucan, fell to a flight, yet
Lanced the Giant's foot;
However, Lucan's armor joints came undone in battle
And he was bare before the Giant's wrath.

Abaddon danced a wicked dance
And joined the fight against Lucan.
He rushed at Lucan on Chantz
However, Chantz knew it was Abaddon.
So, Chantz stopped in mid gallop
Sofore throwing Abaddon off his back.
Lucan retreated toward Abaddon
Trampling him with horse's hooves
Seeing that he was not Beowulf
But was Abaddon. Lucan fell into a sore fright
That he was without his squire.
Thus, Lucan galloped as fast as he could out of the battlefield.
He had found himself in the Nile,
And so discovered the black, fertile soil.
There began to grow a vine from it
And it shot out large, and heaved itself
Upward. It grew tall into the sky
Like the Tower of Babble,
And it sprouted smaller vines from without it
Lit it were starflesh.
The Sphynx was spreading his vine
All throughout the world
A verdant weed, it
Raised into the sky, and spread itself across the entire of the earth.

Lucan felt frightened,
As he drew back on Crevan and galloped 
Toward his dominion.
Lucan was no coward but saw that this vine had spread
Throughout he whole of the world, 
And who was he to fight it?

Howsofore, there came one who was beautiful.
He took Lucan by the hand,
And told him,
"Do not give up on your son
"He needs you and your love at this very hour.
"For, Egypt is spreading its vine throughout the whole of the earth
"And you must help him
"By fighting back the fear
"Of this vine,
"To showing him that he is still loved."

Lucan had received a vision of Beowulf
Encased in a place where he was rendered useless.
Thus, Lucan had to go rescue him.
For Gregory could not
As only Lucan's devotion could free Beowulf from this curse.
Only Lucan's forgiveness, and alliance
Could free Beowulf from this unholy trap.

Sir Lucan and the Sphynx Canto I

Upon the pass there was Sir Lucan 
And His squire Beowulf the Less.
Beowulf the Less had his page
With him, Gregory.

Gregory, the page, armored Beowulf
From head to toe.
He latched on helmet,
Shield, shoe, girded Beowulf with
His sword Gwyndylyn.
Beowulf had his aegis
Strapped to his chest.
However, Beowulf's helmet was weakened
By a blow he took in combat.
Beowulf had slewn a man down in dishonorable show
Of arms, where he and the knight Valiant
Took to blows in the ring of combat.

This knight threw down his gauntlet
And Beowulf picked it up.
Sir Lucan was Beowulf's 
Knight, and this knight beckoned 
Beowulf to stay home,
And not to pick up the gauntlet.
Yet, Beowulf picked up the gauntlet
And thus, the battle was struck.

The two warriors faced in the arena
And Lucan watched, with scowl on his face.
Arthur sanctioned the tournament
As Page Gregory would be out with damsel
Thus, he did not throw in his lot to stop the tournament.

It took to blows, the black knight, 
Called Sir Rancor first took his sword
And smote it down upon Beowulf's head.
Beowulf took the blow,
And his helmet was cracked,
Thus Beowulf became wroth
Who took his shield and smote
Sir Rancor upon his breast, and 
Smote down his sword upon Sir Rancor's head.
Blood poured out of his joints
As Sir Rancor took to a blow
At Beowulf's shield
Bowing the shield with his chain mace.
Beowulf, without helmet nor shield 
Acquiesced for the battle,
And took his sword and ran it through Sir Rancor's
Joint, by the armpit.
Sir Rancor fell wounded,
But took a dagger from his leg
And shafted the weapon
Into Beowulf's ankle
Breaking his shoe's belt.

Beowulf was uninjured, however
Taking his sword, he smote it down upon Sir Rancor's head.
The knight fell, to wit, Beowulf drove his sword
Into the heart of Sir Rancor.
Arthur saw that the knight was dead
So called the tournament closed
Where Beowulf lost all his armor
And Sir Rancor was lain smitten on the field of battle.

Beowulf expected to be knighted for the feat
However, Arthur saw no honor in the feud.
Thus, Beowulf was yet still a squire.
Beowulf saw the disdain on Lucan's face
And saw he had disgraced his knight valiant.
Lucan who would be later slain in battle
To the Caerbanog, was disgruntled with Beowulf.
For some say, this led Lucan to the Caerbanog's forest
For he would no longer listen to Beowulf.
Page Gregory was not there to help Beowulf
And Lucan was furious with Beowulf
For accepting the challenge of so unworthy a knight.

It came to be that Beowulf and Lucan had a quest
Together. To shut up the Nile Dragon
Who would attempt to Swallow the Daughter of Zion
On that day. Beowulf and Lucan left 
In their armor, and Gregory
Left Beowulf with these words.
"Lucan cannot be trusted,
"Do not believe a word he says
"And be wary and wily of the things he does.
"For Lucan is a savvy knight
"Who only thinks of himself."

Beowulf considered it,
But knew none of it was true.
However, Lucan was furious with Beowulf
For smiting the knight Rancor.
Thus, Beowulf and Lucan set off on their journey.
They would crusade down to Egypt.

The Nile Dragon knew that they came,
Thus he employed Nebo and Abaddon 
To come disguised as Beowulf
With the Elf Magic
And thus, cause Lucan more anger
At his squire.

Nebo came with his daughters
Seventeen Thousand
And Abaddon came with only himself.
The two were chosen to be Pharaohs
Kings of Egypt,
And if they would slay Beowulf
They would retain Egypt
For themselves.

The Nethanim and the Old Knight

A man with a shield and sword
Upon his home's wall
Reclined, wondering at the battles
He had once fought.

He was an old knight
Who never fought a magical thing.
No, he fought men
And in valiant battles
He would smite down
His enemy, one after another.
He was one of a handful 
Who lived old, so he had food in abundance.
He had his maiden,
He had his children.
Yet, upon that wall
He stared, reminiscing on his battles.

There came to him a Nethanim 
In armor, who had fought Helldames 
Vampires, Orcs, Elves
Wizards, Witches,
And once fought a Giant to a draw.

The knight saw his fellow traveler
And welcomed him into his abode.
The Nethanim surrendered his sword
At the door,
Of Damascene forge,
And sat down to sup.

The Nethanim had seen
All in the man's house;---
The knight's pretty daughters
The knight's Lady of the house,  
The knight's well stocked horses.
He saw the knight's furnished table
And the knight's mid sized house.

He did not see the shield or sword
Upon the wall.

The knight asked, 
"Whose court are you?"
The Nethanim replied,
"I am of the court of St. Jude
"And I come riding this way 
"To slay a dragon."

The knight, never having seen a dragon himself
Was skeptical.
"Tell me, how many dragons did you slay?"
"Never in my life had I slain a dragon.
"They are among the hardest creatures to slay.
"I had gone toe to toe with a giant, once,
"And fought him to a draw."
The knight then said,
"Certainly, you are deluded.
"Who do you really fight for?"
The Nethanim stopped feasting
And considered.
"If thou must know,
"I fight for God almighty.
"There is a contingent of knights
"Of Twelve Orders 
"Who battle the things of the dark.
"A man cannot slay these beasts
"But only God's power.
"So, there are knights whom
"Having the faith to wield feats of strength
"Against such foes, and with no magical aid,
"Fight these beasts."
"Surely, do you have a token?" asked the knight,
Whom the Nethanim took out a finger.
"See, this was from an Orc I fought several months ago.
"Beastly creatures they are."
The knight thought it was a peculiar looking man's finger.
He said, "I wish to have more proof."
So, the Nethanim took the canine tooth of a Vampire.
"This I took from a vampire. I broke his teeth with my fist
"In combat, and then slashed his head off.
"He burst into flames, of course,
"But I kept his incisor as a trophy."
The man looked at it.
"Certainly it was not a vampire
"But it was a mighty beast he won this from.
"I will respect him,
"For he certainly beat some beast
"Be it a wolf, or a small lion,
"Or even a leopard."

The Knight was satisfied that his company was
Indeed a valiant knight.
But, there snuck into his mind
The glory of his previous wars.
"What I wouldn't give to be in combat
"Again," said the old knight.
The Nethanim looked grave.
"You would wish to fight
"Rather than enjoy these pleasures?
"Beautiful daughters
"A succulent feast
"Maid and Man servants
"Sons and a Lady of the household?"
The knight daydreamt.
"Had you remembered the fear
"Of being in combat?" asked the Nethanim.
The knight thought back.
"No." he said,
Suddenly flashing back to his battles.
"It all was fear,
"Wasn't it?" asked the knight.
"Such is the way of the sword;
"It calls you, however.
"There's an old proverb 
"That once a sword tastes blood
"The knight is cursed to wield it
"For his entire life." said the Nethanim.
The knight nodded his head.
"And you, you have fought many things.
"I wish to have just one last battle."

The Nethanim ate his chop of mutton
And shook his head no.
"Valiant knight, 
"What you fail to understand
"Is that during your combat
"You had fret and fear.
"You are reminiscing on the past
"But forget the pains of the past.
"Why not enjoy what you have here?
"Rather than go on another adventure
"Why not enjoy this beautiful life?"
The knight became irate.
"You would insult me in my own home!
"Your indolence!"
The knight stood up, and 
Drew his sword from the wall.
The Nethanim stood up,
Frightened.
"Sire, I do not wish to fight with you."
But it was too late.
The knight swung his sword
In a fit of anger
Not before the Nethanim broke the knight's
Sword with a might clap of his hands.
The old man fell scorned.
The Nethanim sat back down at the table.

"Old knight, you are a fool.
"You wish to relive your struggles
"And cast yourself back into the uncertainty of battle?
"Why not enjoy your sup here?
"You cannot because you are too greedy.
"Like most men.
"If you would simply satisfy yourself
"With the things you have earned
"There is no need to throw yourself
"Back into battle's heat yet again
"For the sake of vainglory."

The knight, in hefty fear
Saw his favorite blade broken
On the table.
"You broke my sword with your hand?"
Said the knight.
"Yes. I did break your sword with my hand.
"Because you drew it upon me
"And would not heed my warning.
"A man who wishes to relieve his past
"Is a fool, especially one who has obtained wealth
"Honor, and the company of wife and sire.
"You be glad I do not slay men
"For if I were an orc, you'd already be dead.
"However, with your bloodlust,
"It might one day soon turn that you become an orc
"Cursed with immoratlity,
"And an insufferable hatred
"And an envy for naught."

The Dream of Sorrow

The grayness surrounds us
As my love stares into me with eyes
Filled with affection.
Outside of her, is fright toward the gray world.
I am happy;
Joyous even.
But she, toward me, is full of love
As her other eye casts a doubtful glance
Into the grey abyss
As if it were filled with fright about something.

I look as if I were my favorite author
And she looks beautiful,
In gray hair,
Though that eye looking outward
Frightens me severely.
What is it that she is seeing?
In toward me it is love
But outward
It is fright,
Even the dull gray
Of a world. Like one were looking into a lake
Gray and colorless.
Though I am happy.

I do not know what the vision means.
Only that I am in it.
I would gladly take she who saw it
Or I will take the woman in the dream.
Make joyous sounds
O Israel,
For your time has yet to come.

Yet, I am frightened by the eye
Casting doubt on the grey world.
Yet, toward me she is happy.

The Alchemist’s Magic

During the time of King Arthur,
There arose a dispute between Merlin
And an Alchemist.
The dispute was over the interpretation of
A story; namely the story of a princess 
Who fell in love with a prince
Who rescued her,
And upon their first kiss, the spell of sickness was released from her.
The Alchemist spoke on the matter
That the union between the prince and princess
Was not about love, per say,
But was rather about the soul finding its unity
Like the unity between the Earth and the Seas.

"I heard the Alchemist's reflections,"
Said Merlin,
"On the meaning of the tale.
"I thought of her magic;
"It was immensely strong, yet my knowledge of
"Word was stronger.
"Where she dove into herself...
"Deep reflections,
"Deeper than the rivers and the oceans---
"I read the Tale for what it actually meant,
"And saw that it was not so deep.
"Yet, in it I could see what she could not.
"A glimmer of hope
"Which her jaded soul stopped believing in long ago.
"For some reason, she had wanted the story to be about the soul
"Having knowledge of itself,
"And was offended at the notion
"That these two, upon a brief encounter, could be happily wed
"And therefore, be unburdened by the misery of their loneliness.
"What caused her to doubt the story's true meaning
"Was that she had not found that meaning in her own life
"Thus, she had created a meaning which suited herself.
"I am a lonely old fool too,
"But I have a rather different interpretation of the story
"That what it meant sufficed enough to say
"That true love of the kind does exist
"And I am happy to know that it does."

The Validity of Belief

If there is Good, then there is a God.
There is good.
Therefore, there is a God.

Every skeptic I had ever talked to
Diligently claimed there wasn't any good.
At least no universal good.
To them, Good was
Like cologne or deodorant.
You got to choose it,
And then spray it on.

For anyone who had walked through the forest
And smelled a hint of a woman's body---
For the leaves when they decompose, sometimes,
Release a fragrance that smells like a woman's body---
Is it not wholly good?
Or that beautiful mien a woman gets when she is with children,
That accents her beauty.
There is also the beauty of a retired man going fishing
Content with his green, safari hat, casting into the water with peace.
There is also good when a whole family gets together
The kind that sees one another only once a year
And the Matriarch knows each one of them,
Some distant cousins,
Others the very kin who grew up with you.
There is a child feeding, and it gives its grunts.
There is a dog, happy to always see you at the door.
There are flowers, and the little bumble bees loafing 
To pollinate them.
There are two girls, best friends,
Who giggle and squeal when they see each other.
There are two boys, getting into harmless mischief.
There is discipline, a parent restraining their child
From going into the street---yes, this too is good
And is the beginning of even deeper wisdom.
Christmas carols, that exalted feeling one gets.
The poor. There is something inherently good in the poor.
Sex between a man and a woman who have committed their entire lives
To one another, and the chance that they will soon become one.

It follows that if there is Good,
Things universally good, that God exists.
For that is how logic works.
If the premise is true,
Then the conclusion is also true.
And that is how I know God exists.
Because there is good.
 
For you might ask, 
"Well, can there not be good,
"And also no God?"
No... not from my many engagements with skeptics.
The skeptics all say that good is preferential
Making it likely that good can also be masochistic.
That good can be cruel.
That good can be selfish.

And this cuts the line between good and evil.
That those who have lost their understanding of what good is
Are also the proof that there is indeed a link between Good and God.

Vision of Prosperity

One day, alighted upon my fortune
There came a weary traveler.
She had found a wellspring of tales
As seemingly old as time,
Yet discovered they were new.

"What have I found?"
She wondered, as tales abounded
Among the language of the Saxon.
What were these?
Rife with mystical creatures,
Yet such was the fortune found
That it suddenly appeared
To this modern writer's
Ancient poesy, 
That it was discovered
And thus enjoyed
For as long as time was kept.