He reigned supreme,
for over seven-thousand, three-hundred years,
with beauty and intelligence unrivaled,
separating himself
while trying to remain a part –
and with a quiet grace borne of confidence
that frightened some,
and inspired others.
The wars he fought were many,
making enemies as he went, with those whose envy
clouded their ability to understand the purpose,
and the path, and the striving.
And making friends with those who,
while having their very truths combatted,
understood that his wounding cuts sliced both ways,
wounding him as much, or more,
all in the name of something bigger than them all.
But kings don’t reign forever.
Forever’s not allowed,
and kings aren’t allowed to stay kings.
And the time comes when they have to say goodbye,
leaving behind, sometimes, a better kingdom,
in spite of itself,
and a gratitude
impossible to express.
A mighty king sat high within his seashore tower
and wore a golden crown; he drank and heard his heart
laughing like shingles of the sea in his glad breast
till his gold crown fell in the waves and disappeared.
Then the kings laughter ceased, for cobwebs filled his heart
and he sent heralds through the world on horse and foot:
“Listen all lands and seas, these are the king’s commands:
He who will plunge in the sea’s depths and fetch my crown
shall wed my only daughter as his high reward
and be my only heir, and king of all the world!”
The king cried out, and the lands and seas roared in acclaim
for a brave youth rose up to take the deep sea plunge
and slowly striped until he stood nude on a high rock.
Neither a golden crown nor a sweet princess shone
within his manly mind that scorned to seek reward,
and as he bid the world farewell, a voice rang out:
“Why do you plunge toward death, brave youth? Open your eyes!
You’ll not rejoice in a girl’s arms or golden crown!”
“I know that in the sea’s dark depth’s I shall not find
a crown, a king or a king’s daughter, not one god
to marvel at my pure and disinterested deed;
souls may be sure of golden crowns only in death;
but even so, if rewards were there, I swear that I
would never take the plunge toward death with such great joy
Farewell, O earth, for you were worthy to bring forth
souls brave enough to do great deeds with no false bait!”
As the archer sang in the wastelands, his heart grew bold;
ah, had I but a thousand lives, a thousand crowns,
I’d throw them all into the sea, then strip and dive!
THE ODYSSEY, Book XXII, lines 240 – 268, Nikos Kazantzakis
A lovely poem, Rainey.