APW: Ys (734 hits)
Category: NoneLabels: apw
Rating: 1.07 on 31 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Orgasmatron (View user info) at 2006-12-06 17:24:59 EST
A holy man the gates of Ys let pass
To spread the word of God to any ear
Who would listen, past iron bars held firm
By stone surrounding, the walléd rocks a
Sea confounding, tide-lapped but motionless
Against the water's crashing fists, a mist
The streets did blanket as the cross and man
Together walked to share good news to all,
All who would hear of serpents and the Fall,
Temptations in the desert, Gethsemane,
Salt-struck cities, especially; the lot
Of Ys was given to decadence
Born of a noble, pagan patronage,
Initial wellspring of classical minds,
But matured now into spoiled vanity
And riddled with a base barbarism,
The walls of Ys allowed no water in
Yet safely they secured a well of sin:
And so did Guenole, this holy man, begin.
To Gradlon king did Guenole request
An audience to share good news and truth
And found him on a throne of polished wood
Alone save for Dahut, his only daughter,
As beautiful as seven days of snow
And lovely as a man would ever know,
She heard the words her father could not hear,
Wrote the name of Christ upon her heart to
Remedy her unchecked soul, but Gradlon
King did not believe Guenole, cast out
From his door the idolator, his lies,
The cries of Dahut gone unheard while the
Monk righted his robe and went back to town.
To Gradlon king his daughter came and wept
And begged him reconsider his decision
For Ys and for his soul, of firepits and
Beasts adorned in red and knotted horns,
Of Satanas, eternity and death,
Of speaking Jesus' name on every breath.
"My daughter, all our gods have served me well,
And though you speak of heaven and of hell,
I cannot turn my back on those that made
This land of ours." "My father, can't you see,
That Ys belongs to God, as does the sea,
The sky and everything between? I pray
That you will come to understand one day,
Your gods are nothing more but sand and stone,
But mine both wind and spirit, blood and bone."
She ran to Guenole and in him spied
A friend and something more; she begged him guide
Her in the ways of Christian love so she
May help her people past the golden gates
To eternity beyond, his gentle
Hands, his patience and his saintly smile
Did easily her younger heart beguile,
And so with fervor took she to his will
With him she'd know no fear, no rest until
She'd spread the word of God to every ear.
The split city now with half a heart as
Each to each the king and princess parted
Family and friend to one another's end,
Stone shapes shattered, wood and iron replacing
Templed forms and for each sacrifice a host,
For every boast of nature now a law,
Latin upon the wind, old bones calling,
Flower crowns possessed of thorns, blood omens,
Chastised fertility weeping on the wing,
The dove and dragon dying down the day,
Palmed nails grasping running water roses,
A baffled breeze blowing over stone walls
Beyond stirring sea, the earth below, and God.
The old king struggled with his dreams one night,
Set to walking older stone stairs, pacing
And at Dahut's door he stopped, dropped to knees
As from beyond scored wood hushed voices called,
Cradled storms inside their possessors' throats,
But called all the same in the cool midnight,
The door flung open and Gradlon king observed
A tangled twist of bodies, arms, legs paired
Unnatural, his daughter bearskin backed
While above her Guenole moved in time,
"Usurper!" cried the king and seized the monk,
Protesting, praying, fubling by the moon,
Dagger-led naked and ashamed through streets
Until thrown justly through the gate, cast out,
As breaking waves dashed rock and drowned his shouts.
For weeks Dahut the gate's strict iron paced
Longing for to see her lover's face,
At last by mid-day light he then appeared,
Reduced to tears she begged God let him through
For now only a miracle would do,
"Your father holds the single key we need"
Guenole said, "For around his neck rests Ys
And everything within." She stole away
That night, found her crownless father sleeping
The silver key suspended from his throat,
Her dagger slit the night then cut the rope
Holding the lockpiece in check, as away
Again past temple, shop and theatre to
The gates of Ys and her dear lover who
Instructed her to open now the lock
And grate confining their hearts, but Dahut
Could not see, the moon's broad face had hidden
Under clouds and blackened sky, the key fell
Lock to turning lock twisted in the night,
No welcome arms to greet her but a spray
Of frigid water, salt-stuck and screaming
Her lips parted as the sea rushed over
Feet, and now her ankles, and now her knees,
The ocean hungry and alive, unchained,
Unchecked, at last she found the lock
Behind which Guenole was waiting, snap,
Twist, wet fingers drawing back the beam but
No man there behind the rusted city gate,
The flood pooled 'round her, growing, growling
And the hour was much too late.
Then Gradlon king was woken with a shake
The white hands of his shaking daughter wet
With tears and seaspray, beyond the walls now
Screaming from the streets, a rush, a giant,
And reaching for his key he found but cloth,
The severed cord he ripped completely off,
He said "O my daughter, what have you done?
You've killed them, killed them each and every one."
He didn't have to see the charging sea
To understand that she had used the key
And opened up the lock that held in place
The anger on the timeless ocean's face,
"I thought it was the gate" was all she said
As down below them floating past, the dead
Stared up with bulging eyes and frozen screams
And in the streets now nightmares where once dreams
And through the houses rising tides of black
And work of human hands began to crack
And oils ran soft, the marble split and grinned,
And gold fell to the depths and could not swim,
And unborn children fell to second water,
And mother gave her air up for her daughter,
And vellum lost the memory it possessed,
And washed up graves gave up their rotten guests,
And backs of horses breaking from the strain,
And monoliths were scored and lost their names
The churches, temples, all consumed by flood:
A rising wave of history and blood.
To horses Gradlon king and Dahut went
Taking nothing of their home, stranding all
But their lives as onward they rode, gateward,
Trampling drowned bodies, drowning bodies all
The same together now floating, rolling
Behind them ceaseless in its charge the sea
Raced, white jaws flapping with foam, lapping at
Her heels and bringing down her mare, "To me!"
Cried Gradlon, taking her hand, escaping
The white-eyed horse she clung to her father,
And heard hoofbeats from behind her to the side,
She looked and saw Guenole dressed in his robe,
But somehow all together different, eyes
Glassy and glamorous, pale skin rippling
Over sharp knuckles and scaly hands.
He did not acknowledge her in the least.
"Repent and end this wickedness!" Guenole said,
"As Ys has fallen, you too shall be dead
If you, king, do not set this evil right
And sacrifice your daughter here tonight;
Let her go into the ocean's breast and
God will set this punishment to rest."
Then Gradlon king his daughter overlooked
And thought about the stories in the book
The monk had offered him in vain, about
How God had sent the ceaseless rain to cleanse
His world of evil, pride and selfishness,
And saw now how this God will put to test
Anyone who denies him, thought better
Of his life and on his coming days alone,
A second chance, a second God and home,
He looked his daughter over, said goodbye
And dropped her in the raging, rolling tide,
At once the flood abated, calm and clear
As Gradlon king let fall a father's tears.
Beside him Guenole, the monk, he laughed
Then from his habit grew twin wings of black,
A forkéd tail between his legs, and horns
Erupted from his forehead, thick as nails
And black as pitch, eyes of white below the
Brow where tonsured hair had but a moment
Before resided, and he told the king:
"I know something of the love of the self
And can respect you, yes, respect you king,
For your decision. But know this now: Ys,
Your glorious city, your fair daughter
Who moved as mercury in my fingers,
The nameless dead, the ruin, all and more
Are on your hands. Your pride. Your vanity.
You who thought to master the old ocean
For your people, you who would place yourself
Above your own offspring, who would idly
Watch enlightenment turn to ignorance
And progress to mere novelty. You were
To your people an empty god, as false
As the one I proclaimed within your walls,
A hollow father to needful children,
Who needlessly suffer for your sins.
I loathe you. I admire you. For this simple
Bit of pleasure I do truly thank you."
Into a living shadow he disappeared
Upon the ocean's tranquil face as Gradlon
King watched the shadow drift he saw return
The lifeless body of his daughter, his love,
He swallowed his sorrow, forgot his dreams
And with a burning fire in his heart
He knelt down to reclaim her limp and broken remains,
And all was washed away.
User Reviews
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2007-03-17 11:12:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I feel that I quite indirectly by matter of circumstance, may have inspired you to do this, sort of. I'm good.
This might be my favorite APW.
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2006-12-07 09:30:13 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Auto "thorns" reference +2
Nice job, O-man.
Submitted by charminglybeef (user info) at 2006-12-07 01:07:56 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
[None] Colouring Contest! (Rating: 1.89 on 20 reviews, last by Axolotl 1 hour ago)
Submitted by Apollo [Authenticated] (View user info) at 2006-12-06 18:23:49
[None] APW: Ys (Rating: -1 on 28 reviews, last by Orgasmatron 28 minutes ago)
Submitted by Orgasmatron [Authenticated] (View user info) at 2006-12-06 17:24:59
Okay fine, so maybe I embellished the ratings, but you get the point.
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2006-12-07 00:31:40 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Just "sometimes?"
Submitted by bob (user info) at 2006-12-07 00:25:09 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
god Uber is pathetic sometimes.
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2006-12-06 23:51:20 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2006-12-06 20:46:59 (#)
Ranking: -2
You don't REALLY believe anyone actually read all of that, do you, Stumpy?
---
Anyone? Of course some people read it start to finish. Everyone? Of course not. This is Short Attention Span Theatre we're dealing with here. You scan, look for some quality lines. See if it's worth reading. But that's up to them. We all know where you stand.
Stumpy, eh? That's rich coming from an A-class dwarf.
Submitted by TimetoDance (user info) at 2006-12-06 22:53:19 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice.
Submitted by garudave (user info) at 2006-12-06 22:27:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
This post is rather "wander"ing.
Haha, get it?
You don't?
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2006-12-06 21:05:56 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I read every word twice. It's a wonderful story.
For every boast of nature now a law,
Latin upon the wind, old bones calling,
Flower crowns possessed of thorns, blood omens,
Chastised fertility weeping on the wing,
The dove and dragon dying down the day,
Palmed nails grasping running water roses,
A baffled breeze blowing over stone walls
Beyond stirring sea, the earth below, and God.
My favorite lines.
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2006-12-06 20:46:59 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
You don't REALLY believe anyone actually read all of that, do you, Stumpy?
Submitted by bob (user info) at 2006-12-06 19:45:15 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I want the password!
Submitted by TheUniter (user info) at 2006-12-06 19:17:28 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
Submitted by scourge (user info) at 2006-12-06 18:39:35 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
password emailed, lishy.
Submitted by scourge (user info) at 2006-12-06 18:32:40 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
you or O-toad, valerie.
i will email it to you shortly as you called first dibs. please do not post porn with my account. you can post a tribute post to yourself however.
i like you.
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2006-12-06 18:30:21 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Wait am I one of the two you were addressing? How presumptuous of me.
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2006-12-06 18:24:59 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
memememememememememememememememematty
Submitted by scourge (user info) at 2006-12-06 18:23:52 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
i'm on vacation for a week.
which one of the two of you wants my password for purposes of abusing others on uber and spamming your own posts with sweet sweet +2s?
chop chop with the answer...i'm in a hurry to get to my beer.
oh yeah, beautiful work here, as always, O-toad
Submitted by TheUniter (user info) at 2006-12-06 18:21:07 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2006-12-06 18:15:55 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
You're right. Because it's my fault you have no attention span.
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2006-12-06 18:15:48 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
WHO IS TEH Y?????
Submitted by 8track (user info) at 2006-12-06 18:13:50 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
wtf no way am i reading all of that
Submitted by Anansie (user info) at 2006-12-06 17:48:09 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Your apw poems always have an epic feel. And they read like they should have been written by one of the early 20th century English poets.
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2006-12-06 17:45:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I love the way you told this.
I think the variations you made with scheme and such really added to the piece. It was beautifully written but it allowed me to become engrossed in the story because I didn't have a definitive meter in my head while I read it.
Submitted by Anansie (user info) at 2006-12-06 17:45:16 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Well, I did post a poem today, but only because I am unsatisfied with it and can't put my finger on whatever it is about it I don't like.
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2006-12-06 17:43:44 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I am SO happy you did this.
This is one of my favorite posts of yours.
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2006-12-06 17:42:08 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Anansie (user info) at 2006-12-06 17:32:08 (#)
Ranking: 2
Yeah, why do you post your poems here?
---
Practice, practice, practice.
Submitted by Anansie (user info) at 2006-12-06 17:32:08 (#)
Ranking: 2
I don't post anything here I actually think is good.
---
To agree with you in a sense, I don't see this as something I 'actually think is that good.' Not trying to troll for praise or anything...I just see it as something I couldn't stop adding words to. So instead of being something tight and fully formed it's more of a progression of neverending text to me.
Then again I tend to not be satisfied with much that I post here, so what do I know.
Forget I said anything. I shut up now.
Oh yeah...post more of your writing. The Gruberfest stuff kicked my ass.
Submitted by Jack_McCallum (user info) at 2006-12-06 17:39:07 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
And I thought I had time on my hands.
Holy fuck.
Submitted by bob (user info) at 2006-12-06 17:37:50 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I mean...you have so much poetry here...why not see if you can get published or something?
im not a poetry expert in the least, but your stuff is really, really good.
Submitted by awesome_face (user info) at 2006-12-06 17:36:09 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
You are too good for Uber
Submitted by Anansie (user info) at 2006-12-06 17:32:08 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Damn dude. Yeah, why do you post your poems here? I don't post anything here I actually think is good. Well, except Idle Hands. It was fair.
Submitted by bob (user info) at 2006-12-06 17:27:51 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
wow.
why are you writing your poetry here? i mean...that was great.