Eclipse

By: Wivylma Posted on: July 31, 2006

The following is an excerpt from the journal of Wivylma Winterwind, penned early in the year 426.

Upon a mountain in the south there stands
A rich man called Tavarius by all
The light which he now calls into his hands
Far brighter shines than any I recall.

They say he built a planetarium-
I got a letter asking me to go
I fed it to a humgii near Riparium-
I thought that I had seen the stars aglow.

"What use," said I, "are telescopes and tools,
When sun and moons and stars are right above!
I do not wish to go and join those fools
I'll stay within the forest that I love."

Yet even 'neath the shadows of those boughs
I too could see and feel the sun's light fade
I sat up then, my senses all aroused
The three moons soon eclipsed the sun- and stayed.

Unnaturally, they followed through its course
The sun that rose and fell, but could not shine
While every plant and creature in the forest
The aspen, birch, the oak tree and the pine-

All suffered through this strange, unceasing night
While forest spirits hid inside a tree
And though it can't replace the sun's own light
A seed was given each, to some aid be.

A man in Tasur'ke made a bonfire
A red half of a pearl was within
He would have burned the continent entire
Made it a blazing sphere, with heavens dim.

But others took the pearl from the fire
Perhaps it was for good, perhaps for ill
While ever in the mountains on that spire
Upon his ledge Tavarius stood still.

I heard he plans to make us all Divine
But he did not tell Hashan of his plans
While all the life of Nature, fair and fine
Pools down into his silent, waiting hands.

I know not if those hands hold life to be
Or death for all the world but him alone
Above, the radiant stars are all I see
And still he stands upon the ice and stone.