Inventing The Wheel

Inventing The Wheel
© Surazeus
2025 01 05

How many moons, fur moist from sprinkling rain, 
the horse with star-black eyes glides gracefully 
with clumping hooves of curiosity, 
radiating passion of unchained delight, 
along curvaceous shore of sparkling stream 
as muscled apparition of bold hope. 

Her pointed ears vibrating with hoof thuds, 
Klymene hears warm breath of eager flight 
as white horse gallops glowing in blue dusk, 
and feels in beating of her joyful heart 
compassion for its freedom to express 
aggressive flight in flash of moon-frail wings. 

But eyes of understanding bloom with shock 
when Klymene sees swift approaching horse 
tangled with long vine wound around tree stump 
that tumbles round and round in frantic bounce, 
so she calls Helios with sharp cry for help 
who gazes astonished at the wild scene. 

Clamping sharp knife firmly between his teeth, 
Helios paces frightened flight of the horse 
then leaps lithe with grace of attentive force 
to ride its writhing fear with firm embrace, 
then cuts vine loose to free the gallant beast 
who stops exhausted and drinks from the stream. 

While Klymene comforts the frightened horse 
with soothing whisper and gentle caress, 
and offers ripe apples to calm its heart, 
Helios replays in memory of his eyes 
how the short tree stump tumbled on the ground 
in circular swirl, rolling round and round. 

Carving long tree in pole with two end stumps, 
Helios knots loops at ends of two thick vines 
around thin pole, then clutches ends of both 
with hopeful fists and drags the carved tree forward 
so stumps at both its ends roll round and round, 
then shouts with glee at inventing the wheel. 

Experimenting over several years, 
Helios designs chariot with axled wheels 
hitched to the horse with leather harness straps, 
so, when he stands on plat between two wheels 
and shakes leather reins knotted to bit ring, 
he guides the horse to gallop on the plain. 

Klymene gazes with admiring love 
to watch bright Helios with long flowing hair 
stand tall on two-wheeled chariot he designed 
as he drives white horse swiftly on the plain, 
two spirits racing faster than the wind 
who sweep across the world on thundering wheels.