Ad Infinitum Book One Master of the Nine Steps

by John Northern

PART THREE

  What followed

  In the interim

  And the long time

  Waiting

  In the valley

  Was uneventful

  And now

  I think it

  Hardly worth telling

  How suddenly

  She had gone

  Redundant but true

  "And should I curse the poem

  For taking her?"

  But still

  It was

  And time passed—

  Many days

  I browsed the fields

  Of poetry and forest

  Mind and earth

  I waited her return

  Whiling the days

  The sun rose and set

  So many times

  So slowly

  I read many books

  And wrote poetry

  Of life

  Each day I became more anxious

  For her return,

  The days

  Too long

  Then came the time

  And I began to wonder

  Why so long?

  Has something happened?

  Perhaps I should track

  To the coastal cities

  To search

  For the lady

  "No"

  I thought not

  "She might be traveling

  The path

  Even now"

  I didn't want to pass her by

  On separate paths

  So, I waited longer

  For her return

  Then one morning—

  Days later

  As the sun shone

  And the birds sang

  Chipmunks chattered

  Up above

  "I have a speck in my eye"

  I thought

  "But wait

  No

  Something black

  Circling

  Slowly circling

  But far

  Too far above

  To signify"

  I waited

  Curiously

  Circling

  and circling

  and circling

  Down

  Closer down

  Slowly closer

  "I seem

  To remember. . ."

  Closer

  And closer

  And

  "Yes I see it

  Now

  The huge black bird

  Of before"

  The bird circled low

  And several times

  Swooped close

  Not far

  Above my head

  The huge black bird

  Ghastly

  Foreboding

  I could see dripping

  Blood

  From his beak

  Drip

  drip

  drip

  "What is this, bird?

  What can it mean?"

  A morbid idea

  Began to grip

  My mind

  "I see it now

  I think

  Bird of doom"

  Again stooping

  Swooping

  Blood dripping

  From his beak

  Like a knife

  From the wound

  "Why?

  Bird of ill omen

  What is the reason?

  What is the omen?"

  He swooped up

  Higher and higher

  Becoming a black dot

  And disappeared

  Into the vast reaches of the sky

  Turning

  I went

  To the cabin

  To do a few things

  Putting away

  Books and papers

  Closing windows

  I read the rollin round

  Again

  Then put it away

  I straightened

  A few things more

  Then through the shutting door

  I went

  I trailed

  Down the path

  Of the forest

  I hurried

  But not really

  I was glad

  To be trailing again

  "We might meet one another"

  I thought

  "Upon this path

  Perhaps just ahead

  Around that bend

  She is walking now"

  I continued on

  Trailing

  The path

  The forest

  Still

  The same forest

  Seeming

  Only a shade darker

  With the shadow of the bird

  Hanging over

  I journeyed

  Toward the village

  Hoping there

  To hear good news

  Or at least

  News

  At times

  Pessimism

  Beset me

  At other times

  I was optimistic

  But still the path

  Winding

  Gnarling

  Up and down

  Weaving

  In and out

  And over

  Fallen logs

  On

  And on

  Time lapsed slowly

  upon the path

  And the forest

  Always the same

  With peering life

  Skittering to and fro

  But came the day

  When rounding a bend

  And through a forest

  There stood the house

  The statue

  And the village

  Below

  I hurried on

  To the house

  The standing memorial

  On to the house

  The old man

  On the porch

  Her uncle

  Rocking

  Quietly rocking

  Stepping

  I came closer

  To the porch

  Greeting

  The old man

  I sat down

  And curiously—anxiously

  I asked

  About the lady

  We talked

  A long while

  And I asked

  Many questions

  He told a story

  And I listened

  To the words—

  The light faded

  As he finished

  Below

  The village

  Silent

  A few wisps of smoke

  Rising from chimneys

  A few dogs

  Barking

  In the distance

  Down

  A silent village

  I rose

  And walked away

  I thought of the words,

  The story

  I pondered

  I regressed

  And I remembered

  The time

  And the love

  She and I

  Had had

  Together

  I reminisced

  Memories

  And I knew

  That that

  Was all

  We would ever have

  I climbed the path

  And I walked

  To the ledge

  I sat upon

  Where she and I

  Hand in hand

  Once sat

  Overlooking the house

  Overlooking the village

  And there

  I sat

  Watching again

  The old man's face

  Telling the story

  He told

  Of her journey

  To the most powerful

  Of the coastal cities

  She had met many people

  And made

  Many friends

  They had given her

  Food and shelter

  She had given them

  Love—
/>   A fair trade

  She had talked

  On the plains,

  In the halls,

  Upon the beach

  First

  The groups were small

  Then larger

  Many people came

  To see her

  To listen

  To her words

  Of wisdom

  Teaching love

  And peace

  Even the General,

  Ruler of the city,

  And his daughter

  Had listened

  To the lady

  All agreed

  (Except greed)

  With the lady—

  Peace is the path

  To happiness

  The General was interested,

  And his daughter

  Went to many

  Of the talks

  She became a friend of the lady

  —an elegant speaker

  All went well

  With the lady's mission

  She would stay

  Awhile longer

  Then

  Journey back

  To the mountains

  But

  All the while

  Evil is the plot

  Black plans

  To form the scheme

  Greed

  Bleeding the soul

  To bring forth

  The deeds

  Of avarice

  Darkness of night

  In the day

  Dimming light

  In life

  And the victims

  Cry in pain

  "Where is the light—

  Where is the peace?"

  But the shadow oppresses

  And the joyous mode

  Gives way to suffering

  Blackness enters

  The world of the lady

  Like a bayonet

  To rend life

  From the brain

  Jab jab

  Lunge

  Thrust

  From the War Corporation

  Birth of arms

  Death of babes

  Machine guns, grenades

  (Let us drop a bomb

  And murder a hundred thousand people

  Or a million - why not?

  Men and women

  And especially the babies

  And children - how wonderful!)

  Tanks, jets

  Submarines, battle ships

  Etc.

  And latest

  And greatest

  The antigrav ship

  With broad range laser destruction units

  Call forth

  And hire

  Your shadows in the night—

  The economy

  Must be protected

  Send forth

  And destroy

  The light of peace

  Convince the General

  To turn a deaf ear,

  A blind eye

  Protect the destiny

  Of the War Corporation

  Think not

  Of life

  But the purpose

  And greed of death

  A small group on the beach

  Joy at dusk

  Becomes black

  And the daughter

  Present

  With her friend,

  The lady

  Oh God

  Where is your light

  To reverse

  The shadows

  Of the night?

  Prey,

  Two shadows stalk—

  Fools,

  Pray to God instead—

  Know you not

  The balance

  Of justice?

  The lady

  Is killed—

  Her body

  Flung

  To the sea

  I must cry

  But cannot—

  She would not approve

  The daughter

  Wailed

  And mourned her death

  The people of the city

  Cried

  And mourned her death

  The daughter

  And the weeping city

  Called out to the General,

  They showed him the deed,

  But indeed

  He could not hear

  He could not see

  Perhaps

  He wept inside

  But

  It is

  For the good

  Of his people

  The economy

  Will prosper

  (While the people

  Hide in bomb shelters

  And fear

  For loved ones—

  Some never seen again)

  The wars continue,

  The clamor for peace

  Dies

  The city is normal

  Again

  "And now"

  I thought

  "Hers is the sceptered coffin of the sea

  Of tides and pounding waves—

  A dark and watery tomb"

  It didn't seem possible

  It didn't seem real

  She had said that soon

  We would be together

  Again

  Still

  I sat

  Overlooking

  As darkness filled my world

  But I did not torment

  Nor wail

  Nor moan,

  It was not her way

  To overreact—

  'Pay the debt,

  Then live on'

  So,

  I was not sad,

  I looked

  Searching

  And to the heavens

  To find a ray

  Of light—

  "I see no light"

  I thought

  Instead

  The heavens were dark

  Ominous

  And foreboding

  I stood up

  On the ledge

  And looked back to the house

  The village—

  Something wet and fluid

  Clouded my eye

  "I fear

  A storm is near

  Approaching

  I feel something wet

  Upon my cheeks

  Away

  Away

  I shall away

  My mind grows dark

  And

  Everything appears as shadows

  Black

  But where is the thunder?

  Lightening?

  Black

  Nothing appears

  Nor sees

  Everything is. . .

  But wait!

  Weight!

  Oh hear it now

  Like the pallbearer

  At a funeral

  Whisper singing a song of leisure

  The voice screams out

  At me

  Why now

  This time of times

  Oh God

  The voice of Ad Infinitum

  Hear it"