Ode Of The Desert

One-two one-two, march of the brute soldiers,

Smite and kicks, “Out of my way, peasant!”

“Hail to our king, Dominicus, the Omnipresent”

Trumpeters roar, eulogizing faux hegemony

Lascivious indulgence, he was the agent of polygyny;

“At dawn of the seventh day, we bring down Theophilus”

Summoned he, the messenger, “Come hither, Ignoramus”

Coarse heedless dysphemism, “...pardon, my lord, it's Nicostratus”

Ah, matters least...thou must traverse past the valley of the dead

This word shalt make their souls shiver in dread”

“So be it my lord, I must leave now before it is dark”

With water and a dagger, on his white horse he embarks;

Cruel desert, and the soulless sand,

but inhumane was the message in hand

At a distance he witnesses a witchery unseen

Silhouette of a woman approaches, her eyes sea green

“What thou, owner of such beautiful face, seekest in this desert?”

Nicostratus, I comether to guide thee out of here

I sense a lost soul, and thy heart brimming with fear

Thou carry words of terror, inscribed on papyrus

Thy king, a blasphemous fool, together with Cyrus

They foresee victory in ravaging the just

Dominicus will fall, his weapon only good as rust

Thou must warn Theophilus, and there shalt thou seek refuge

With winds will I blind, and drown the evil with terrible deluge

Woman, how dost thou knowest so well about the future?

Thou knowest the King better, that inveterate suitor

Nicostratus, I know for my winds taste man's deeds from his breath

And surely can my sands tell, the living salt in thy sweat

Woman, grateful I am, what must I call thee?

So relieved I am, free from the King's decree

Nicostratus, I have no face, no form, no name

My existence sees no worth for fame

I dwell and rule, the earth and above

I author mortal emotions, of hate and love

Thou shalt never see this form, never in this realm

But, surely will thou see me, reigning my helm

My purpose fulfilled, I must bid thee farewell

I am nature herself, and in nature in dwell

Turned into sand she dissipated in the wind

Nicostratus, now destined to protect, as a paladin

The kind nature appeared as a balm to his hurt

And, so goes the legend, the ode of the desert

Copyright (c) 2014 Shine Jayakumar