Out of darkness and deep lake striding
towards fluttering Macaw rainbow call to rise,
up into light, stumbled god and pregnant women
from swirly navel of the world
to four corners pinpoint of kingdom
where sun would find pity enough
to warm them, dry them, bleach them
in rise of condor, puma and rocky iguana gray
fit together like virgin’s legs
where Andean peaks hide sins of sons
and sloppy dry breast of mountain’s fall
snake of steps to small hooved alpaca peaks
and valleys sinking in puma heights
to where cover of a condor’s wing protects
bones of women unfit for priests
settle stone in paradise beneath heat of conquistadors
chipping at gold lap of rattling corn
straight lines and tall walls
strung together as maze and geometric signs
that lead to that one that led them
to royal estate and religious retreat high above
common condition of natural man
Fate was determined by human condition:
what god is man and man is king,
a dethroned deity scathed and stunned
would shackle and slowly squeeze
through forbidden shadows and allow
petulance in metal flanks
to scour for theft and greed’s demise
with puss-filled breath that seeped through rock
and weakened ancients until to stone
they sunk back into humidity, as if ocean
wave had leapt to sky on wing of bird
to heap of clouds that darkened land
where begonias and orchids needed space to breathe
A place of peril was taken back
by god’s design and fate’s fist
as warning that we were not or never be
above ourselves no matter how wise
or how taught or how high we climb.
Oh let it be that we are hidden from God’s view
in easier ways than forest’s fold
over what we were meant to be:
not gods but simply disciples
digging a harvested life in highest
ground of simple humanity
remembering to fear both god and man.
Author notes
tacla - a digging stick used by Incas to harvest crops
A contest entry
- Of Condors, Pumas & Lizards by ea.
500 points, ended September 27, 2007, 4 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 10 of 10
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ty, again, ea, for the silver...
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Some dark cavern where you have gone with the
lamp of your poetry to bring to us things that
we would never know, hear, see or feel.
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I have heard that the great civilization disappeared because they began to thinkt hemselves more powerful that their god...that ought to be a scary thing for Societies today.
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This is an amazing piece. The whole thing is really amazing to me. I like the subject and the message behind your poem. Great job!
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ty Nicolette...it tok a lot of research but I did know some of the story.
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You have covered and said it all, M'Lady!
"A place of peril was taken back
by god’s design and fate’s fist
as warning that we were not or never be
above ourselves no matter how wise
or how taught or how high we climb."
Amen, Scribe!
~ Nicky♥
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ty Nicky,
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