. Poetry from The Great In-Between: Hakim. The Gatekeeper from Esagila.

Monday, June 24, 2024

Hakim. The Gatekeeper from Esagila.



(A lone voice whispers)


In ancient Babylon 


I once stood alone and mixed fire 

Iron and clay 


All day 


Creating a spell

To entice 

My only light 


To come my way 


Sent merchandise of gold and silver 


To her

The Pythoness of Endor 


Hidden in dark woods 

Over the deepest of rivers 


Bundles of finest fresh linens and purple silk 


To satisfy her and her ilk


Citron wood and every kind of object 

I could ever find 


Made of white ivory and black marble 


Whenever I could 

No matter the expense 


Incense sticks

And scented Egyptian Candlesticks


Made of expensive Frankincense 


Delicious crates of red wine


Bamboo baskets filled with white flour and yellow wheat 


Fields of fat cattle and herds of baying sheep 


Priceless trained horses and golden inlaid chariots 


New slaves of broken souls


Lascivious ladies and ravenous men 

To do her bidding 


Even acts of depravity

Linked to the forbidden 


For the fruit of my soul

And to be joined to her again 


A bright light I once saw 

On a seemingly endless night 


But in the year 323


When my leader

Alexander the Great 


At only 32

Died and was eternally set free 


In the opulent palace of Nebuchadrezzar 


She


The lady of the wild woods 

The Pythoness of Endor 


Cursed me to chase her

Forever 


The Queen

I once conjured by fire Iron and clay 


So today In the 21st century 


Her I still chase 

Since eternal life


Is now my only penitentiary 


My only great living version 

Of Babylon of old 


When I desired to sire  

A queen I once met 


Dancing 

The Raqs Sharqi 


So fiercely 

That her raw beauty 

I can never forget 


Adorned in soft crimson and glittering purple linen 


Clad in silver


Wearing gold and shining diamond stone earrings 


Reborn into the likes of Badiaa Masabni 


It's why I still chase her 

If I could confess 


For underneath 


Beneath all things linked

to trying to achieve immortal strength 


It's why now 

To seek her out

Once more 


I always choose to break free  

From the external grip


Of The Valley of Death 


(C)Copyright John Duffy 


Image shared under fair usage policy.


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