THE CYCLE OF CREATION

Before the days of men,
The skies above gave birth to the sun’s fire
The fire burned so hot that the air itself condensed, becoming earth
The earth, warmed by sun’s fire in the sky, brought water to its surface and let it run through the lands
The water flowed freely, and between it and the earth, bore children whose roots held firm to the earth, while their branches reached to the sky.
And in turn, wood gave life to the air, so that men and animals could walk across the land.

AND THE CYCLE OF DESTRUCTION

And in their creation each element fed on the one before it
Wood drank deeply from the waters
Water eroded the earth, carving channels and settling lazily where it wished
Earth smothered fire, sealing it deep within
Fire would devour the very air that men and animals breathe
Even air, in its tumultuous storms, could rip wood from the earth

THE BROKEN CYCLE

The calamity came, the sky bright even without the sun
Before all fell dark for weeks across the land
The earth cracked open, spewing noxious fumes
Spawning springs of water that carried only death
And with the cycle broken, fires ran rampant through forest and field, decimating woodlands
Leaving only cracked and rocky earth behind

Then too creatures from the depths
No thing ever seen by man or beast before, warped scions of the Earth
All fled from their lands
but where was left to flee when the world was turned against them?

One, name lost to time, let their voice ring out across the land
Calling out to every man still with life
Every beast that could still run or swim or fly
Every spirit of every tree and flower and grass
Essences of lake and river breeze and gale
And of course the fire, echoing across the skies in storm
Or flickering in calm warmth before them

‘Not one of us can survive alone, scattered and weak
Gather your strength, and share it among the others here
There is no other path ahead but to support each other
and in the support, break though to see a new world.'

Knowing it to be true, gifts and blessings exchanged
Horse giving power and endurance
Man giving his intellect and speech
Crane giving his sense of direction
Snake giving his limberness
The list near endless, around the circle and through
Senses, feelings, mind and spirit enriched

The elemental powers changing others in form
Fire granting to the meekest beasts its might and fury
Air granted its invisibility to the slender people, to hide
Wood sought its own men to live among it and call it brother
Water seeking those who sought to move quickly or hide in the deep

And man and beast both gave their own spirit and mind to the elements
Granting small wisps a new form of life upon the land
Flittering through the lands, seen and unseen
Seperate, yet one with the element they were born from

Earth came upon them, rending and tearing
Man and beast had fled once more to the six corners of the earth
Though united in purpose, newfound gifts still too unpracticed
Clinging to life in the passage of time
As green slowly clawed its way across the cracked earth
Smothering it with new purpose, fed by clean breeze and sweet waters and sun's fire
Each in turn reclaiming a place in the world, linked together.

THE RENEWED CYCLE

Held at bay by Wood,
washed clear by Water
purified by Fire
or scattered by Wind
Earth remains, corrupted still
Tread lightly upon the grass underfoot, traveller
Seek life throughout the newfound world
And fear what lies beneath.