THE WOUNDED HERO
Prelude
Beyond pain and suffering, free from mistakes, free from death,
far removed from humanizing
influence lies the superman. Neither hero nor villain, the superman
is beyond such near-sighted
perspective. If the footfall of a giant crushes a town and its
inhabitants, should the giant be
labeled villain. Conversely, should this same footfall open an
artesian
well in the midst of an arid desert, then may
this distant giant be lauded as a hero. Not
It is
without having tasted of mortality can
a penetration,
a God be a savior. The hero is born
or permeation, as in a
of victimization, born among
baby’s first breath, a lusty
the victims. Before engaging
immersion whose embrace
in battle, the hero must
admits one to the world with
be wounded. It is in
shock and pain; it is a wound
the nature of
which can either cleanse or poison
the beast.
the blood, it is the door which opens into
three worlds; it is a friendship or a love, a hate or a disparity, crossing
separate paths.
Responding to the presence of ignorance and greed within oneself,
one should admit shame
Reverberation
it is easy to give in,
and strive to overcome
(comprehension)
of time
abandoning oneself to
by looking deep within
sketching out
impulse and short term
in an attempt to understand
the geometry
(ignorance)
sensual gratification,
the nature of this greed
of space
following desire into crime,
and this ignorance. This
(greed)
throughout all
bred of ignorance and greed--
taste, this wound allows
alternatives into
crime, high finance, politics,
a familiarity and an access
a quantum
(brotherhood)
religion, among which we
empowering one with impetus.
arrangement
glide so blithely, patronizing
This is done to the cry
(isolation)
of matter
the avenues of commerce,
of a violin, against the
spittle of energy.
attaching a significance to
weight of creation. After
Energy: flatulence
(individuation)
objects which is imposed,
a period of healing,
of soul, the
bounding and covering their
sensitive evermore,
(dexterity)
expression of which
true significance. These
the affected portion
is impetus to
convictions, central to
undertakes exercise,
creation, resuscitating (manipulation)
our civilization, when
strengthening against
now the universe,
adhered to dogmatically,
repeated encounter and
(graft)
casting definition
lead to sociopathic
preparing to overcome
in contrast.
(art)
behavior.
and tame ignorance and greed, harnessing them to pull the chariot.
Myth
The wandering hunter
entered into a mountain skirted
valley, lush with fruit trees and meadows
of grain. There he found gentle harvesting
people living squalidly in tumbled
down shacks, who offered him of
their fruit and grain, and of beverages
brewed from both, all of which he
accepted quite gratefully. They
gave him lodging for the night. When
he inquired about their devastation
they would look away, out at the valley
or up to the sky, making no reply.
That night the wandering hunter was awoken by a commotion.
Leaving the hovel where he had been
lodging, outside he found two winged
giants rambunctiously battering
the town. The wandering hunter
addressed the giants saying:
“Why thus do you destroy this village?”
The giants ceased cavorting and
the ugliest of the two demanded
“Who are you?” “Only a puny hunter,”
the least ugly observed, “come
to ask impertinent questions
of the masters of the valley.”
“This answers not for your oppression of these folk.”
“The keepers of the groves,” roared
the ugliest of the giants, “condone
no disrespect.” So saying, out
extended an enormous arm and a hand
the size of a bush, slapping the wandering
hunter right out of physical existence
where he remained
for a piece,
outside of time,
wounded
by the hand of the giant.
Yet
the wounded hunter
revived in time.
Recuperating
and preparing for his next encounter
with the giants,
against the wishes of the people
who urged
him
to forget
his injury and continue on his way.
He
insisted upon freeing
them from oppression.
When next
the giants returned,
he stood ready to greet them,
They
armed with a bow.
laughed at his threats.
“Have I not swatted you, pesky
Before
fly,” the ugliest giant chided, “or
either giant
did I miss you that time.”
could make a move,
each had an arrow stuck
Both
in their side.
let out a howl, and flew off
with a great flapping of their wings.
Quickly the wounded hunter took a flying leap onto the
back of the ugliest giant, where he clung
High
through their flight.
into
mountain peaks,
the sky they took him, out of the valley, up over the
almost
to the clouds;
then descending
to a cave
on the other side
of the mountain.
The ugliest giant bucked
several times in mid-
flight,
but the wounded hunter
held the giant tightly by the hair,
at the base of the wings,
riding him
all the way to their lair,
where he beat both
of them
in combat, forcing
them into submission.
At last
they cried for mercy,
pleading:
if they had been carried
away
it was because the harvesters
spoiled them
with pamperings and offerings
Manipulating skillfully
the wounded hero fashioned
a flying chariot
with reins and harness
to bind and control
the giants.
He
taught them to mind the reins
or taste the whip,
ranging through the skies
within sight of the moon,
until he had them tamed and trained.
As
dawn approached,
the wounded hero
in his flying chariot.
returned to the valley.
the harvesters all bowed before him
obsequiously,
praying for mercy.
“You deserve less mercy than these beasts
which you have transformed into monsters.
Had you kept them securely tethered
and carefully guarded,
they would have served
capably.
But
you gave them free rein--even
encouraged them-
-until they nearly destroyed you.
For this abuse,
you have lost them.
From now on, they shall draw my chariot.”
So saying,
the wounded hero took off in his chariot,
and
as he left the valley
both giants were transformed
into tremendous flying
eagles which shown
like the sun,
only to be glimpsed before
they were gone out of sight.
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