Children Of Brave Caliban

Children Of Brave Caliban
© Surazeus
2026 02 09

I remember when my brain was first wired 
with shocking memories of frantic escape 
from sharp-teethed monster with glowing gold eyes 
so terror of harsh pain flooded my heart 
with urgent energy of ardent hope 
that helped me escape death four million lives. 

Standing on street corner in downtown Gotham, 
Zarthus contemplates how his brain perceives 
the whole real world with complex virtual model 
complete with alarm system that detects 
danger in the form of men and machines 
so he proceeds with caution down the street. 

Four million generations of my soul 
have survived for one hundred million years 
since I was small furry mouse in the woods 
running with intense passion to survive 
till I transformed into long-legged cat 
then climbed into trees and became lithe monkey. 

Now I walk upright on two sturdy legs, 
skill I learned floating in calm ocean tides 
while dancing in electric surge of joy 
along ever-winding shore of the world, 
till I traversed whole landscape of our globe 
so I know song of every mountain river. 

Leaning against greasy telephone pole 
while eating ice cream with leather-gloved hands, 
Zarthus watches all the colorful people 
of every shape and size and type and color 
who populate our global maze of streets, 
reborn as children of brave Caliban. 

When Jupiter ruled Earth with lightning bolt, 
brass martial wand tipped with emerald blade, 
as judge of life and death on the ziggurat, 
he chose his son Phoebus as the Crown Prince, 
so Lucifer lead rebellion from pride, 
then Adam had to vote who would play God. 

Yet every god and king and emperor 
who dared play god in mortal game of power 
has rotted into dust of nothingness, 
leaving nothing but skeletons and idols 
to signify their legacy of power, 
mute and blind head of Ozymandias. 

Programmed by terror of death to survive, 
I focus attention of crafting hands 
to compose new ontological code 
expanding religious creed of old myths 
so faith includes respect for all world gods 
who glow as ghosts of mortal souls long dead.