4. The Poet
- The Poet spent most of his time in his village cabin, sitting, listening, and searching for anything to distract him from the truth.
- Everything was a distraction to the Poet, for he was a fool, and to him nothing upon the Earth was put to good use, and he was as a tree which had grown wayward under the pressure of the strong valley winds.
- He had not yet received the same insight as his father, the Holy Prophet, for though he had acquired a natural way with words, he did not value his gift, and he believed himself to be sufficient, and he was prideful, and he believed that he knew the way.
- The Holy Prophet had cared for the people of the village, and they had cared for Him in return. They were better for each other, for He always spoke the truth as He saw it, and the people of the village were guided by the truth that He spoke, and they saw that the words He spoke were brought into being.
- By day they planted seeds and harvested that which had grown, and by night they watched the myriad of stars that passed above their quiet village upon the fertile plains. The water that flowed from the distant hills was pure and sweet, and it nourished the souls of all those who drank of it.
- But now, many years after the passing of his father, the Poet was vexed, for he had heard a voice which had spoken unto him a prophecy of the end of days for the people in his village. He perceived that this voice had come to him not by way of his own intellect, but by way of revelation, and because he had been taught by his father of the power of revelation, he believed it to be good.
- And now the Poet’s eyes had been opened, and he could see, and his ears could hear, and his heart could feel. And he did perceive that, since his father’s passing, the people of the village had lost their hope, their imagination, their love, their joy, their gratitude, their courage, their Wisdom, and their meaning; they had lost their way.
- As the Poet paid closer attention, he bore witness to the truth of the prophetic voice which he had heard, for he saw that the people of the village were angry and resentful, and that they knew not which way to go, nor which words to speak. They pursued many false aims, and in their blindness they did seek not after Alignment, which is above all aims. And they knew not which way to take, and their leaders knew not the way, and the blind led the blind, and the sick tended to the sick.
- And the people of the village cursed life, and they cursed death, and they cursed being, and they cursed their homes, and they cursed their fellow citizens, and they cursed their leaders, and their leaders cursed God.
- The Poet saw the ways of the people, even that they were as wayward travellers, far from home. And he saw that they did drift about their lives day by day, and that they had forgotten virtue, and that they had forgotten civility, and that they constructed many idols, and that they praised many things which were not praiseworthy, and that they despised many things which were good.
- The Poet had seen much, and he was grateful that his eyes were opened, and that his ears could hear, and that his heart could feel. But now he felt sadness for the people of the village, and he wished for them to have joy, and he saw that if none would lead the way then they would surely find swift destruction, even as it was spoken unto him by the voice of revelation.
- And the Poet felt that a burden had been placed upon his shoulders, for the voice which he had heard did show him that he should set about to save the people of the village from their horrid fate.
- He perceived that he should speak Wisdom to the people in the village, and that he should learn the path to Alignment, even that he might lead the people on that way.
- And he set about reading many books of the ancient poets, and the wise seers, and the great philosophers, and the heroes, and the visionaries. And he did read much Wisdom, though he was not wise, and he did not become wise, for his youth had made him prideful, and he believed that he was sufficient.
- And although he did not know the things which he learned, he perceived that he should speak to the people of the village, lest they meet their demise before he had fulfilled his purpose which was given to him by the voice of revelation.
- And he spake unto the people with many instructions, and he taught them by way of the words which the ancient teachers had spoken, saying, “Moral Lucius said this,” and “Wise Heraclitus said that.”
- And although the people did come to listen to him, his words did not take form in their hearts, for while he had read much Wisdom from the great teachers of old, he still knew not the way.
- And the people of the village mocked the Poet, and they did laugh at him as he spake, for he was a weak teacher, and the Wisdom which he taught had not yet penetrated his own heart.
- The Poet perceived that he should read more books, and he did learn many wise sayings, and he was shown many ways, and he did continue to teach these ways to the people. But that which he taught did not penetrate the hearts of the people, and they continued their prideful march toward certain peril.
- The Poet was vexed, for he knew not which way to turn nor which path to take. He became resentful, for though he had set out to do as the voice had instructed him, he felt that he would never save the people of the village. And he suffered greatly, for he, too, was lost, and he feared his own looming destruction.
- And on a cold and wintry evening, he did cry out to the same hills which had delivered to him the voice of revelation, saying, “Whence did Thy voice arise when Thou didst speak unto me? And where hast Thy voice fled? I have done as Thou hath instructed me, and I have spoken to the people of my village, and behold, they have mocked me! And is this what Thou hath planned for me? That I should become as a fool? For I have listened to Thy call, and behold, a fool I am!”
- The Poet received no response to his plea, and he wished that he had not heard the call of revelation, and he wished that he had remained in his ignorance.
- And he felt that he had been abandoned, and he wept for his people, and he wept for himself, and he was without hope.
