As Ever Like the Sun & Moon at War

4- ☼

For weeks the Spouse and Pilgrim travel through

the mountain range, delaying only when

a town is reach'd wherein they resupply

before continuing along the road;

for weeks they are accompanied by dust

and desert sand until the biome shifts

toward a lusher, verdant variant

that's laden thick with further conifers

our Pilgrim points toward and tells to Spouse

are call'd as trees, from which the wood back home                10

that many buildings are constructed with

is grown, which causes her to finally

perceive the distance vast between this source

of wood material and desert towns

who're forc'd t'recycle wood to reconstruct

their buildings when sustaining damages,

as well applying clay to patch the rest,

which elders claim was learn'd as their response

to desert overtaking Southern lands.

Our Pilgrim, ev'ry day, admires seas                20

of green provided by the vistas' views

betwixt the mountains at the highway's side,

and he and Spouse are never left to thirst

for flasks are always fill'd by falling streams

of crystal waters under which he bathes

as well with hope t'alleviate his guilt

which ever is a burden on his heart

despite the distance put betwixt himself

and places where his sin is heaviest.

The Spouse attempts along the way, as well,                30

to ease him through contrition, as does he

for her with physical engagements both

they use to comfort one another, for

the two can't find the words to speak about

th'events they both have witness'd on the road

without devolving into argument.

And so the two continue with a built

resentment festering toward the road

and one another til our Pilgrim says

upon the sight of water falling at                40

the side of th'road into another stream

by filter'd bronze of falling evening sun:

"Let's fill our bottles here and also bathe

to clean ourselves outside and also in,

for still I must insist thou'dst ease thy guilt

if only wouldst thou let thyself be cleans'd."

(Remember neither know the cleans'd effect

Pariah learn'd from th'words of Oracle,