As Ever Like the Sun & Moon at War

2- ☼❂☾

Our Pilgrim's dragg'd beneath the swirling pool

whose freezing current tosses him about;

end-over-end he tumbles, losing track

of which direction's up and which is down,

submerg'd within th'abyss of liquid ice

which penetrates his flesh with daggers' blades

and paralyzes limbs and locks his lid

to shutter eye from cold, protecting it,

but forcing greater darkness over him.

In black he wanders t'ward his inner self               10

for guidance through this trial of the cold,

but where he now expects to find the light

of burning heart possess'd within his form,

instead he finds a flame that's black as night

whose umber glow illuminates a haze—

miasma putrid and ethereal—

which now he recognizes as his curse.

He bows what he'd consider in this place

his head—despite he dothn't understand

the form he's taken on—and concentrates;                 20

Through meditation's focus he allows

the water of the spring inside his mind

t'extinguish dark obscuring light within—           

encasing it like fist around a stone—

and with a torrent soaks the dusky coat

to wash the blacken'd fire from his core;

but th'umber flame commences roaring with

infernal temper which evaporates

th'assaulting torrent, tight'ning up its grip

around our Pilgrim's heart with shooting pangs                   30

as stale breath begins to burn his chest,

and cravings for the air distract his mind.

Without a thought for loos'ning up its hold—        

bereft consideration for the pain

inflicted on our Pilgrim with its grasp—

the umber flame begins their dialogue:

"You sorry fool, I am superior

to any effort you may hope to try;

th'attempt to douse my flame shall only see                 40

me bolster'd for I'm not, as you may think,

a being born of sin—at least not ours."

To this our Pilgrim launches yet one more

attack of cleansing current o'er his heart         

as light envelops round his presence here

and glows a porc'lain white that's opposite       

the black. The water crashes over his

opponent with a mighty force of cold,