Paul Zepeda reciting his poem "Resurrecting the ashes of Babel"
Text:
let the ashes of Babel be the war paint I smear across my face.
Prometheus, why would you curse them with fire?
You had so much faith in their intuitive nature. What outcome did you imagine for this colony of parasites?
you forgot that when a parasite evolves, it spreads. The more it spreads the more the host withers. When the host eventually perishes, all dependent life dies with it.
can a parasite transcend its own species?
or is it descending the evolutionary ladder to exist in mutualism with life?
if hierarchy crumbles, only then will they experience the divine unity.
divinity is without masters.
But even you were subject to Zeus.
these ashes are symbols of the lost human language. When we spoke with our bodies and our eyes. Our actions were our words and our primitive words breathed life.
Prometheus,
From up there I can see why you toyed with that one little strand of DNA.
I understand the burden of reckless optimism. Blinded by selfless love and hope you enlightened them.
but was it to early for the test of fire?
you hoped that through the fire their language would continue to hold the same intent as you and your omnipotent company. Their language resembled water. Eternal and life giving. Balancing in perfect symbiosis with the all.
in Eden, when you brought the brightness of fire to their dark dream, the newborn hailed you as a snake.
the warmth of the fire softened them. From its pain they realized death. With death the only truth of their life it became their focus.They forgot that when water evaporates, it is not disappearing. Only releasing from its current position and continuing its cycle.
Thess ashes are the markings of a new warrior.
rewriting the new language with phrases of life and love,
water extinguishing the flames of death and fear.
You knew they would forge technology from fire.
you believed they would create their technology with their current language. Created in the image of water and life. A technlogy that's single purpose was to propel the continuum of spreading and facilitating ALL life. Not just the life of their own species.
But their technology and the society it founded was birthed in the image of the flame.
An energy that would flicker and die out if it wasn't fueled.
its fuel is what they feared, death, and it required more fuel as they spread and multiplied.
it was driven by fear until stability was reached. Fear receded, and in its place, pride and self-glorification took the throne.
"look how bright our flame can burn!" They thougiht.
But their fuel remained the same.
they will continue to build their image of the flame and speak its language until there is nothing left to build with,
Or, Prometheus, possibly your faith wasn't misguided.
They may remember their lost language and rebuild in its image.
the ashes represent the first fire and its potential for good,
They oppose our new language, embrace death as uncontrollable, and recall the first words of our original language.
the more we learn to speak with death,
the less we remember of how we spoke with life.
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Leah Noble Davidson - Portland Poetry Slamby JillGreenseth104 views
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