Thursday, June 7, 2018

Lord Of The Storm

Lord Of The Storm
© Surazeus
2018 06 07

Gray rain drenches the slopes of the high mountain
and streams down as rivers to form large pools
that shimmer in rays of light through the clouds.
Chased by thirty men with strong cedar spears,
the young man in leather loin cloth leaps swiftly
through ancient forest toward the mountain slope.
Gasping for breath in thick torrents of rain,
he bounds up the mountain toward highest peak,
leaving the gang of men with spears behind,
so he pauses a while to catch his breath.

Stray beam of sunlight, streaming through dark clouds,
glitters silver as the sun on a spring morning,
so he kneels and claws tangled roots and rocks
to find strips of metal with jagged edges.
Clawing at the metal rod long as his arm,
the young man wrenches from heart of the world
the beam of sunlight that flashes through rain.
Turning to run when gang of men arrive,
he climbs the twenty-foot high ziggurat
his grandfather built from stones he cut square.

Back against the tall black stone at the top,
carved with a woman holding the sun eye,
the young man grasps the beam of metal light
and crouches, ready to battle each man.
Lightning flashes across the swirling sky
as the young man with hair black as raven wings
glares fiercely at the men with cedar spears.
"My father Anu ruled our tribe with justice,
protecting innocent men from your pride.
He punished you for catching men as slaves,
then freed honest men from your chains of greed.
You killed my father, stabbing him with spears
because he stopped you from enslaving men."

The strongest man leaps forward to attack,
swinging cedar club to bash in his skull,
but the young man swings the beam of sunlight
which breaks his wood rod, shattering it to splinters.
Swinging beam of sunlight with forceful will,
the young man smashes his skull to red pulp,
which splatters his brains in the pouring rain.
Kicking is limp body down the stone steps,
the young man grips wand of light with both hands
and roars like the lion, eager to fight more.
Six more strong men run forward to attack,
and each time they swing their club at his head,
but each time he breaks their wand in splinters,
then smashes their head with wand of sunlight,
and kicks their broken body down the stairs.

Raising the beam of sunlight to rain clouds,
the young man roars with triumph in the storm.
"I am the great Enlil, Lord of the Storm!
If you fight me I will destroy you all.
Kneel now before the thunder of my face
and proclaim me the master of the tribe
and I will spare your lives so you may rule
your clans under the scepter of my power."
The remaining tribal kings kneel in rain
and proclaim Enlil the Lord of the Storm.

The rain ceases falling and clouds disperse
as blazing beams of sunlight through the storm
illuminates the glorious face of Enlil
who stands laughing on the stone ziggurat.
"Here on this mountain of the storm and sun
I will build Ekur, the House on the Mountain
where I can see everything that occurs
in all the world that spreads around my seat.
I can see all that happens in the world
so from this seat in my house on the mountain
I will rule over all tribes of the world.
I am the wise Enlil, Lord of the Storm."

Sitting at large table in feasting hall,
Enlil gestures for everyone to sit,
so the tribal kings and their entourage
join him in the spacious House on the Mountain.
Priests sacrifice bulls on the altar stone,
roast the meat and carve it into fat slices,
then priests bear platters for all to partake.
Priestesses pour wine of grapes in each glass,
then muses appear on the lofty stage
where they sing hymns to praise Lord of the Storm.
Actors perform the story of his triumph
defeating the tyrants of greedy pride,
and uniting all the kings of the land
in one nation under his scepter of light.

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