11. The Prayer
- For the first time in his life, the Poet knew which path he should take. This knowledge, however, came not from himself; it had come from the Sage, and the Poet felt that it was good.
- He packed up his writing equipment and left for the distant hills, even that he might visit the fountain of his youth once more, for he knew that if he were to save the people of his village, he would have to summon all of the Wisdom which he had learned, and he would have to sit, and hear, and feel, and see, and know.
- The Poet felt that he would at last be Aligned, and he perceived that he would become the Sage, and that he would gain eternal life.
- For many days and nights, the Poet sat by the fountain under the shade of an ancient fig tree which spread its majestic branches over the pond below. He listened, and he heard; he looked, and he saw; he breathed in like the tide, and he felt; he dreamed, and he wrote.
- The Poet knew that what he wrote would save the people of his village, for it was pure, and it was truth, and it was as if the water of eternal knowledge had flowed from his heart and onto the page. And he knew that it was through the Sage that all things were revealed which were meet for him to know, and for him to write.
- And behold, on a warm summer night as the stars shone through the canopy above, and as the water flowed calmly down the rocks, the Poet dreamed a dream.
- And he perceived in this dream that he should speak to his father, the Holy Prophet, and he spoke into the dream, and he prayed poetic lines, saying:
Sitting b‘low this ancient tree,
With Wisdom flowing gracefully,
I’ll fill my cup and humbly plea,
“My father, wouldst Thou heareth me?Would Thy secrets now be known,
That I may never walk alone?
May my soul be linked with Thine,
That I may witness truths divine?This is my soft prayer to Thee,
That Thine eyes now would help me see.
I’ll never, from Thy guidance, flee.
My father, doth Thou heareth me?” - The Poet’s father spoke into his dream, saying, “My son, I hear thee, and I am exceedingly glad that thou didst call unto Me, for I have sat where thou doth now sit, and Nature has always cared for Me well, and She has taught Me to see, and to feel, and to hear, and to know.
- And thou hath done well by Me, for thou hath sought goodness for its own sake, and thou hath become as a guiding light for the people of our village.
- And thou hath seen that thou art not just a Poet, but also that thou art a shepherd, and that thou must now shine thy light in the darkness, and that thou must herd thy flock to safety.
- And I tell thee this, My son, that in these dark times there lurk many wolves, and if thou would not protect thy flock from these wolves, then who will?
- And remember that if a wolf would devour thee, then he would devour the whole herd, and it is for this reason that there will be a large price set on thy soul. This is Nature’s way, even the way of THE ONE, that thou might be placed in harms path, for it is here where thine understanding is tested, and it is here where thy folly is revealed.
- And this is thy path to Alignment, for thou art ordained to become as a lantern to thy people, and thou must accept this fate, no matter which direction thou art led.
- And this is who thou art, for this is who I am, and it is who My father is, and it is who the Sage is.
- I love thee, My son. Now rise, and tend to the gardens of thy mind. Strengthen the walls of thine inner citadel, and keep careful watch, for a truthful word has seldom been spoken without swift punishment.”
- “I have heard Thee, father, and I love Thee, and I have missed Thee all these years. And surely Thou doth see that the people of the village have been corrupted since Thou hath left, and that they have missed Thee.
- And father, I ask Thee now: what will become of our people if I cannot save them? For although I have been called, I fear that I may not lead them all to safety before the cunning hand of Nature doth destroy them.”
- “Have no fear, My son, for if thou art guided by truth and Wisdom, even by the Sage—even the Logos—then thou wilt save those who would be saved, and thou wilt be found blameless. The yolk shall be lifted from thy back, and thou shalt join the rank of the eternal guardians who lead not villages, but generations and worlds.
- And hear this, too, that thou art saved, even by the Sage, who was in Me, and who led Me to My own salvation. And if one is saved then all shall be saved, for this is the way of eternity, even that dreams spread between people as a wildfire doth spread over the mountains, for a spark doth turn into a flame, and a flame into a blaze, and a blaze doth become as an inferno.
- And thy soul doth contain a spark, and thou wilt now take that spark and use it to light a flame in the hearts and souls of the people of our village, and thy words shall become as a blaze which doth burn in the souls of many men and women to come.
- But lo, My son, take that stone by thy side, and throw it into the water, and watch the ripples which expand across the water. This is Wisdom, for as are the ripples on the water, so too is thy life, and so too is eternity.
- And doth a ripple find favour over the others? Nay, none doth find favour, for all are not without THE ONE, and we are not without THE ONE. And THE ONE is thy rock, so do not find favour in thyself, for thou art as a ripple which doth spring forth from the seed of eternity.
- And splash not back and forth on thy journey, either, for thou hath been ordained with a divine duty, yea, even a duty to THE ONE. So do thy duty well, My son, and thou wilt be found blameless.
- Finally, My son, consider the birds as they coo softly in the canopy above thee, for they battle enemies both day and night, and they build their nests only to be tossed to the ground by every storm or turbulent wind, and still they sing the song of their own souls. And behold, My son, I ask thee now: is there not also a rhythm within thine own heart? And is there not also a song in thine own soul? Wouldst thou not sing thine own praise to the highest order, even in spite of thy suffering to come?
- We will soon meet, My son, and we will embrace, and we will recite poetry amongst the constellations, and we will dance along the branches of eternity, and we will be free. Rise, My son, and sing the song of thine own soul!”
- The dream of the Poet’s father left the place, and the Poet had truly heard the words which his father spoke unto him in the dream, and he knew what was to come, and he could see, and he felt joy. And the joy he felt was true, and it was eternal, and it was pure, and it was good.
