The Tragedy of Cliffsoil, Part 1
From the Spinner's Writ
In the early days of the People
they each bore one word names
families did not gather beneath
the roof of a shared surname
The eldest People, those begat
by the first of the People
sought inspiration for their names
from the world around them
The People multiplied and single names
became confusing and uninspired
They collected two names from the world
combined into a new, single name
Cliffsoil was the eldest of his family
his parents and brother were dead
taken away after wasting away
Their bodies failed and fell
His wife and children mourned with him
and sought comfort in the Children’s Mandate
But Cliffsoil said, “No more shall we debase
ourselves with no aid from our gods.”
“Never again shall the Children of the gods
receive our obeisance and glut on our worship.
They have taken my pay
and returned only heartbreak.”
“Never again shall my family
perform the Rite of Mandate.
This toil is abrogate and the Children
are no longer my concern.”
Cliffsoil’s family did as he declared
that day passed and then another
until one week had elapsed
and no Rites of Mandate were performed.
The Children knew then that
they had been defied
They devised a punishment
for Cliffsoil the First Apostate
Lady of Rain gathered wolves
each one larger than a human
Lord of Feasts imbued them with murder
and they were released upon the apostates
Cliffsoil and his family sat around a fire
in the early evening, sharing tales
of loved ones lost: their deeds achieved
and jovial remembrances