Sunday, September 20, 2009

Revelation 1

And then I realized:

The snake charmer was just a man.

He sought their adoration-
and revelled in their wonderment
of his charm
and its power.

When needed
He collected followers-
whom, entranced
would justify Him

all wide-eyed,
mystified,
They would be charmed by his old tune-

Together, they could share regurgitations of old thoughts-
brought forth by new tongues
couched "just so" by an old master
who hides his book with
well worn pages.

Yes, with his broken down flute
he could play his same old tune,
weave tales of woe and misunderstanding
always being heard,
never having to listen.

And the song would repeat-
and the song would repeat
and the hips of men and women alike
would sway to the beat-
and their hands and hearts would open
pouring forth the gifts of feeling
he lived on-
he needed to live-

and all would be good
and all would be well
and all would be new
and all would be fresh
and all would be fraught with skin tingling emotion-


Until of course,
one figured out the illusion.

One would always figure out the illusion.

And,
when deciphering the trick and its workings-
Perhaps pushing back at the push forward-
White skin turning slightly jaundiced in the questioning light-

Once perfect imperfection
becoming tight,
stretched,
and slightly more
visible-

When the one in the crowd became too close
to seeing the truth of it all-
The fallible, weak, unromantic,
vulnerable, ugly, stinking
normalcy-
yes, normalcy,
of it all-

The snake charmer would perform his final act.

He unleashed the poisons of self doubt upon their skin,
Charm turning to acid and vitriol-
as unverbalized weaknesses spewed forth in an evidential manner,
each perceived betrayal documented.
Each "perfect" imperfection catalogued.

Once whispered words-
hissed.
Introspections-
refracted, reflected-
in the dulling shine of his instrument-
and twisted into righteousness.

And those who remain?
They'd become altered versions of his same drawing need.
Scattered-
some far into the distance, some just on the periphery-
most lost to the charms forever.

So now,
all torn down.
He sets up for a new crowd.
Those becoming too close
well pushed away,
and-
eventually, fresh pink skin basks in the light.

And it becomes of Him again-
and
He feels new again
and
All is well again
Until unwell-
again.

Yes, those who have seen it
now have older eyes-
are not surprised-
and temper all with vision
that gets astoundingly better each day.

The snake charmer is just a man.