Hesitating to open
The ancient reliquary,
I finally cracked the seal.
A mist of dust clouded my
Sight, and I gazed at a small
Mirror. My face contorted
Until, as my consciousness
Died, I recognized the smile
Of that blessed Saint Amun.
They infest me, burrow through
My skin, prey on my peace of
Mind, leaving me hollowed out.
Break me open and feast on
My substance, for I am so
Desecrated, empty, dead.
Vampires swarmed through
The deserted school, sniffing
And grunting, and then
Congregating in
Front of the closet in which
I crouched. I heard their
Gasping words, “human, human,
We smell a human!”
“Stay out of the mines,”
My mother had always warned,
Words that rang hollow
In my ears as I
Cursed my luck and my
Shattered leg. I had
Wanted to prove myself; now
I would die alone
In the dark. With a throat raw
From screaming, I spit
Out the forbidden
Name, “Bearshak.” Water
Dripped into my mouth from some
Unknown source, and I
Stood , and I could see
A fountain lit from
Below. I lapped at the cool
Water, felt my fresh
Grown fur dampen and my snout
Wet. I stood on legs
Strong and hairy. A
Staircase opened before me.
I ascended, the bear
God returned from eons past;
Let humankind weep.
Broken hearted by
The early death of those most
Dear, I became a
Physician, a scout
For Death, to better resist
Her unending work.
Yet somewhere with time,
The tragedy became the
Overlong life, not
The end. Finally,
I began to guide Death when
Merciful. My peace.
Broken hearted by
The early death of those most
Dear, I became a
Physician, a scout
For Death, to better resist
Her unending work.
Yet somewhere with time,
The tragedy became the
Overlong life, not
The end. Finally,
I began to guide Death when
Merciful. My peace.
The sand dried beneath
My feet; I craned my neck to
See the crest, breathless.
She fell so softly
Through the milky water, her
Scarlet gown turned to
Alabaster, as
She breathed her last and became
Immortal in stone.
The skyline clouds with
Gray, an omen of what will
Soon become my fate
Herman’s Hermitage 