- Took Best Fantasy Poem at Rivercon XXV at the first annual Zineguild Awards.
THE BATTLE
In my bed, so soundly sleeping
From an earlier bout of weeping
Suffering a misfortune I had chanced upon before
Never knowing, now was creeping
From my mind an anger steeping
Forming creatures of great peril from the hatred that I bore
And I saw it, tendrils spreading
Lightly flowing, quickly threading
O'er the barren rocky surface, it approached me in my pain
Yes I saw it in that setting
Cursed it, knocked it from its heading
All in all my head was pounding, pounding loudly in disdain
Sword in hand, my eyes were dancing
And again tendrils advancing
Over rock and over crevice from my right side they approached
With my sword now, I was lancing
'cross the rock so lightly prancing
Now I hit it, missed it, glanced it, on my deathbed I encroached
For no second did I waver
Now more tendrils, even graver
Did appear around the bend, crossing rock and crevice wide
As I watched, and I did quaver
I prayed for God to send a savior
"For certainly I deserve a less ignoble death," I cried
From the heavens there came thunder
The sky, it seemed, had ripped asunder
I looked, I gaped, then smiled for my prayers it seemed were heard
From the sky there came a flapping
Golden beak then came a-snapping
Far too large and far too noble for an ordinary bird
From the heavens it came diving
And with hatred tendrils writhing
While I stood and watched in horror sights I'd never seen before
Tendrils wrapped around the eagle
Still it stood, its bearing regal
Tearing pieces from the tendrils with its beak and with its claw
As I stood there, I did wonder
Why the sky had ripped asunder
Giving birth to such an eagle as I'd never seen before
And I stood there bathed in sweat
Knowing I could not forget
Such a battle as I'd witnessed, for the tendrils were no more
Prayed my thanks my luck was holding
Heavy fog then came enfolding
Me and all the rocks and cracks around this barrenness
Still I stood and watched it molding
From the fog, a face unfolding
Into mystic visions I could not begin to guess
It was angry, it was bitter
Straight from hell did it come hither
As it formed it laughed its horror, I collapsed beset by fear
Hot flame from its mouth did spit
But weakened yet, I was not fit
To face another challenge thrown before me in that year
Now I understand this creature
From within it is my teacher
A lesson carved from anger, sorrow, hatred and despair
And I watched the creature fading
As my heart did hate the hating
Knowing well that in the end, my downfall it would share
There I stood, my hatred fading
In the dawn, my fear abating
Wondering what I'd learned and how to use it to my best
Then I saw it, clear as morning
From within that blessed dawning
Saw the eagle, knowing now that it could finally rest
The eagle called and left the earth
Mourned the death and blessed the birth
At last I knew what fortune had beset me on that day
I was the eagle, no mistaking
We were one and only breaking
Earthly bonds of ritual like anger and dismay
From an earlier bout of weeping
Suffering a misfortune I had chanced upon before
Never knowing, now was creeping
From my mind an anger steeping
Forming creatures of great peril from the hatred that I bore
And I saw it, tendrils spreading
Lightly flowing, quickly threading
O'er the barren rocky surface, it approached me in my pain
Yes I saw it in that setting
Cursed it, knocked it from its heading
All in all my head was pounding, pounding loudly in disdain
Sword in hand, my eyes were dancing
And again tendrils advancing
Over rock and over crevice from my right side they approached
With my sword now, I was lancing
'cross the rock so lightly prancing
Now I hit it, missed it, glanced it, on my deathbed I encroached
For no second did I waver
Now more tendrils, even graver
Did appear around the bend, crossing rock and crevice wide
As I watched, and I did quaver
I prayed for God to send a savior
"For certainly I deserve a less ignoble death," I cried
From the heavens there came thunder
The sky, it seemed, had ripped asunder
I looked, I gaped, then smiled for my prayers it seemed were heard
From the sky there came a flapping
Golden beak then came a-snapping
Far too large and far too noble for an ordinary bird
From the heavens it came diving
And with hatred tendrils writhing
While I stood and watched in horror sights I'd never seen before
Tendrils wrapped around the eagle
Still it stood, its bearing regal
Tearing pieces from the tendrils with its beak and with its claw
As I stood there, I did wonder
Why the sky had ripped asunder
Giving birth to such an eagle as I'd never seen before
And I stood there bathed in sweat
Knowing I could not forget
Such a battle as I'd witnessed, for the tendrils were no more
Prayed my thanks my luck was holding
Heavy fog then came enfolding
Me and all the rocks and cracks around this barrenness
Still I stood and watched it molding
From the fog, a face unfolding
Into mystic visions I could not begin to guess
It was angry, it was bitter
Straight from hell did it come hither
As it formed it laughed its horror, I collapsed beset by fear
Hot flame from its mouth did spit
But weakened yet, I was not fit
To face another challenge thrown before me in that year
Now I understand this creature
From within it is my teacher
A lesson carved from anger, sorrow, hatred and despair
And I watched the creature fading
As my heart did hate the hating
Knowing well that in the end, my downfall it would share
There I stood, my hatred fading
In the dawn, my fear abating
Wondering what I'd learned and how to use it to my best
Then I saw it, clear as morning
From within that blessed dawning
Saw the eagle, knowing now that it could finally rest
The eagle called and left the earth
Mourned the death and blessed the birth
At last I knew what fortune had beset me on that day
I was the eagle, no mistaking
We were one and only breaking
Earthly bonds of ritual like anger and dismay
Copyright © 2003 Steve Lazarowitz ~ All Rights Reserved