ABSALOM

'Within'  by  Trish

Absalom is grieving, he grieves because
his mind is full of a dark thought. Day and night, like a phantom drummer, the dark thought beats inside  his head.

Sometimes he's sure he sees a Stone God resting in a Garden of Lillies The garden stands beside an Emerald Green River. He'd often wanted to stand close to the Stone God, touch it, but he was afraid, wanted to look into the Emerald Green River, but he was afraid of what he might see.

He'd watched snow like leaves, fall in ballets of greens, soft sunsets, with veils of blue and pinks sweep across the sky, sights so beautiful, he almost forgot his grief, but always the dark thought drummed in his head, the thought  'I do not fear God'.

Wild storms came and went, flashes of blinding blue, green lightening opened yawning black holes in the earth, each black hole larger and  closer to where he crouched, the next flashes closed them, only to repeat the violent images. 

He dreaded the  fading light, it was then these things came about.
If he could stop the thought, he was sure it would end his torment.
Hie called out wild words and fierce forces greedily swept them up and away. He had no idea what it was his wild words spoke, only the phantom drummer remained constant, and pounded,

'Within The Emerald Lake'  by  Trish

'I do not fear God.'

This evening, the light was almost gone, when Absalom groaned and raised his clenched fist, raised it and called out, 'Why am I cursed with this darkness of mind? Why do I not fear God! What must I do to free myself of this hideous torment?

The scene before Absalom's eyes as he said these words, was one of a dead city. Out of this city bereft of all life, the Garden of Lillies, the Stone God, and the Emerald River emerged. Absalom had seen this many times, and it had changed nothing.

The heaviness in Absalom's heart felt too much to bear a moment longer, he rushed towards the Stone God, with his  fist still raised, shaking it as if he would smash the image into pieces, but he could not do it. He lowered his fist and bowed his head, his body shook with  bitter sobs.

The weary Absalom sat and dozed, by the Emerald Green River.
Whether he dreamed or was awake, he could not say, but words came upon his breath,  'Absalom, why do you torture yourself so, who taught you that God was to be feared? Don't you know your very name tolls out the message, God is peace.
Believe in your name, hold it dear, and instead of a heavy heart, you will have a fulfilled heart.
Listen deeply to yourself and you will hear, Hear yourself and you will see all.

This time the river  began to sing  waves of sound. From out of the river, rose a pale green lithe form. The  form moved towards the Stone God, once there, it rose up, and cascaded in a rainbow of colors over the  Stone God image. A new form took shape, it was that of a child, the child shape transformed itself into that of a young woman, at the third transformation, the form was of an old woman. Her eyes were closed and her hands folded in peace.

Absalom went to approach the new shape, but saw the three transformations continued over and over, he turned and went to the Emerald River and knelt down. He looked into the water that he'd heard  flow so rapidly and to his suprise the river, was calm.  He stared into the face reflected in the still mirror and saw he was not the same; he moved his gaze a little and  in this image he was still the same. Then Absalom understood, he was both images, and he felt content with that. He felt complete. He knew, at last he  honoured His name, and that at last he had a fulfilled heart.

Tushie