The Unfated Wanderers Canto 10
Tong said, “The part of the Equerry Tablet about the elemental spheres reminded me of an ancient book of nonsense poetry called The Land Above Our Heads, The Sky Beneath Our Feet. I never knew the meaning of these poems. They are nonsense. Who wanted to read this book when it was written? Probably nobody. But we need it now. Perhaps the author was Fated to write this for us, many hundreds of years ago. Perhaps I was Fated to find it so that it would be here with us when it was needed.”
Herein are several poems from the book. Tong copied them for the Undated Wanderers:
Round Earth
A tall thin castle.
The ground will puncture the sky.
The lightning retorts.
The laughing sky smiles
A tower without a base
Topples to the ground.
The severed tower
Falling into a ravine
Buried ‘neath ages.
At the pinnacle
The deepest part of the place
Earth sphere sits and waits.
To Hold the Smoke
You walk rightwards
I walk leftwards
We circle the fire
We pass at the back
We pass at the front
Crying out
To hold the smoke!
Circles and spheres!
To hold the smoke!
You burn fig
I burn thistle
Lift the orb from fire.
The Wrong Side of a Mirror
I brought a mirror
Down to Lake Slowmelt
I found a nice place
Where no person dwelt.
I sat til sunrise
And said “Sparge the Glass”
Dip ‘neath the water
Then my hand will pass.
Mirror now doorway
Pass my hand through frame
Then drawing it forth
A blue orb then came
Close the passageway
By saying gloam
Withdraw the mirror
And go then to home.
A Glowing Marble
There was a man with a glass bead,
Who could cause it to glow, indeed!
In left hand held it high
Said, Imbue It Great Sky
’Tis magic, but what is the need?