Myth and Reality

By G. E. Gorfu
Tigrai Online, Ethiopian News, August 10, 2016

Myth and Reality

Purposeless, chained to a wife,
Turns into idolatry,
Man abhors a vacuum life,
A spicy mistress is Mystery;

            Out of the earth and out of sod
            Man conjures up a hideous god.


Man in his futility
Makes sacred utility
Into drab humanity
Drags down Divinity;

            Out of a stable, out of sod
            Man conjures up a loving god.


Cruel and unjust society,
Gripped with gross inequality
Needs sacred commodity,
To justify brutality;

            Stupid like meat, heavy like cod,
            And readymade – a cruel God.


Mystic fables are then made
Of the wine and of the bread,
Stories of a virgin maid

Mothered a babe though unwed;
            Stupid like meat, heavy like cod,
            And readymade – a loving God.


Endless myth when you read it,
Argument to argument,
Reason for/against the spirit,
Resurrect every moment;

            Tic-tic-tic, seeds in a pod,
            Like a dead and dried up god.


You the branches, I the vine,
And it all looked very fine,
I am yours and you are mine,
And the water became wine.

            Dead and dried seeds in a pod,
            Tic-tic-tic – and there was God.


                                       G. E. Gorfu