Clever Mother Of My Clan

Clever Mother Of My Clan
© Surazeus
2026 08 04

Too early in the morning for this game 
that twists our bodies into hungry ghosts, 
our clan assembles on the river shore 
and hums together in weird harmony 
to channel spirit of the mountain stream 
as scene preserved in our genetic dream. 

Alone in clean museum hall at dawn, 
Nerthus gazes with sense of aching loss 
at painting of idyllic pastoral scene 
that shows her great-grandfather Lycidas 
strumming lyre of Mercury by tall oak 
as Phyllis dances in long breeze-blown gown. 

Walking in silver light of dawn to work 
at the public utilities department, 
Nerthus contemplates how town engineers, 
since humans built Harappa and Uruk, 
have designed straight grids of gardens and streets 
with systems of pipes for water and sewage. 

The holy Fountain of the Flying Horse, 
that springs from heart of darkness on high slope, 
and flows down lush meadows of Helicon, 
supplies the water needs of families 
in millions of houses in city zones 
through system of pipes engineers design. 

Climbing high mountain of mist-shrouded pines, 
Nerthus follows the winding river course 
to cave from which clear water of life springs, 
then gazes over vast metropolis 
organized to manage human desires 
in food-production system of our hope. 

Each person finds their place in game of life 
in which constructive labor of their hands 
contributes to production and distribution 
of food so every living human being 
may eat fair share of energy they make, 
though some will hoard wealth from desperate fear. 

Tall black-haired archer Malchos Azizos, 
who journeyed from Hamath Epiphania 
to man the fort near Wall of Hadrianus, 
offers Nerthus apples and deer-skin cloak, 
so she agrees to cook food at his hearth, 
and bears lithe son he names Apollonios. 

I feel through glowing vision of my heart 
spirit of Atargatis, Dea Syria, 
awake in clever mother of my clan 
who taught me how to breathe in soul of light 
and sing harmonious melody of love 
that guides my journey to the Promised Land.