the mirror of God
light breaking water
before past, present, future
before the first star dawned in some distant galaxy
before El's command awakened day and night, life and death
...
darkness covered the smooth surface of the deep
like swaddling bands embracing the shapeless earth
like an unspoken whisper still clinging to the lips of God.
...
before leviathan preyed within its great depths
before the morning stars sang, and the sons of God shouted for joy
before El tamed the seas within the mighty gates of dry land
...
seductive Tamtu sent her tentacles into the deep
awakening Apsu with the teasing echo of her words:
rise from the depths my Lord and mix thy waters with mine
...
till the first dawning of the first day
when the sun's great light broke upon still waters
driving the old gods with their monstrous spawn to the depths
...
till the seas shone with the glory of God
its gossamer reflection setting its waves aflame with light
and the silence of awe overcame all of creation.
...
did the first man and woman to stand upon its shores pray?
did they tremble with fear at its light crested waves?
did they see themselves staring back or the face of God?
About the Creator
John Cox
Twisted teller of mind bending tales. I never met a myth I didn't love or a subject that I couldn't twist out of joint. I have a little something for almost everyone here. Cept AI. Aint got none of that.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
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Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Comments (13)
Happy belated congrats, Sir John!!!!!!!! This was amazing. So glad I just stumbled upon it! This line floored me: -like an unspoken whisper still clinging to the lips of God.- 😯 As if the almighty was caught in a moment of hesitation... Brilliant!
This was incredibly beautiful and immense in its scope. I loved these lines so much, 'till the seas shone with the glory of God its gossamer reflection setting its waves aflame with light and the silence of awe overcame all of creation.'
Your poem brought us to the very first day. The start of everything. I love the mythological clash of waves, contending with the knowledge of God with a capital G. Love seeing one of your favourite words included, 'gossamer'. The last three lines. I love how final it sounded, how it rang out like thunder. Asking what they saw, was it themselves or the face of God. This poem calls for surrender. I am late but congratulations on your challenge placement, John 🙂 🎉🎉🎉
This poem is purely stunning in its complexity and lyrical quality. It's no wonder it was a Runner Up for the challenge which inspired it. Congratulations.
Wooohooooo congratulations on your win! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Well done, sir, on your runner-up! This was a gem! Totally deserved!
Such rich language and dynamic stanzas, John! This is so carefully and expertly woven! Great use of repetition too, gave it a very epic like tone
What a great way to describe creation. Good job.
Damn….this is good. I loved the thought of first man and women standing upon shores in wonder. The visuals are sublime
Sir! Now I feel the gauntlet has been laid! this was one sublime stanza after another! so much awe, wonder annnd pondering! the asshole Scot is applauding you, my friend!
I liked the mix of old religion and “new.” And I agree with Dharrsheena, those last questions are very evocative
I especially loved the questions in the last stanza. They're deep and thought provoking. Your poem was so beautiful. I loved it!
I love this, the rhythm, the imagery, the questions at the end. Just beautiful.