When the beating red sun brutally filled the dry air with fire and smoke
And the leaves that burned did not burn in silence nor fury
While a man named Vile observed this depletion and cared little for its memory.
For this he learnt a lesson not learnt by many--a lesson far out of reach
of those that dare reach for it.
Great hands came out of the Earth and dragged his struggling self
Into the underground that bear little resemblance to that atop.
And at the end of the hands were arms, and at the end of the arms was
A man all dressed in white. When asked if he were God, he did not respond in words,
Only a chuckle. With that he said, "I have brought you far and wide, yet no where
do your words travel. Walk with me, poor Vile."
His robes are fare and his skin is coarse, who is this Beast that walks this course?
Vile followed with regret for his knowledge of the robed man is as little as his
Understanding of this place. Soon after they began they came upon an arch.
Looking up Vile could see the foul stonework. Ravaging monsters of all kind, a three headed dog,
a craven crow and even a goat-man. No sense was made of it, for the robed man
Just kept walking his course with a quick paced gait.
There soon after, they came upon a dervish man. This man kept sitting upon the rocks.
"Who is this man?" Vile asked the robed Beast. "This is no man, only illusion, here to scare the fools away
The ones that preach their fears and sway. Fear becomes his embodiment and soul as those
Filled with pride walk upon this barren land. Yet little is his purpose for only an illusion is he to ever be.
Stare not at him, but at the clouds for the void is our path into purpose."
Vile cringed at this remark and went on with no purpose in his path.
As he walked his feet grew sore, but his guide would not stop and with
No answer as to why, Vile kept moving forward. Ahead of him his sight could see
An apple tree off into the distance. His hunger grew as he ran towards it, imagining
The succulence of the juicy red apples, but bore with his leaps and bounds, no step brought him closer.
Turning back towards his guide, Vile could see that he had moved, but no closer
Had the apple tree become. "What be this trickery, robed man?" No answer, still
Persistence seemed a foul attempt for his answer. "Be this another illusion like the crazed fool?"
"The apple tree does not trick, simply run towards the tree and reach for the apples. Do not think
That work is not in store, for that is why you've feet and hands if lucky enough to have so much.
So left with those words Vile ran to the tree, not stopping for pain or rest alike.
The seconds seemed like hours as the apples grew closer into sight.
"Finally!" Vile shouted out. Yet little was it heard in this barren land and much was its
Nonsense. The tree had grown quite tall since he began. Instead of complaint he grew a mind
With courage filled and climbed the apple tree. And he picked the apples three with joy.
"Waver towards no such subjects, for we've still a path to walk."
Sure enough the path is there, more beaten than before. Vile dropped his apples
With no remiss and followed quite in toe. The void is closer and the path grows narrow.
But soon it became quite interesting. They came upon a fissure shooting smoke into the air.
Vile stared with ill contempt. "What is this horror?" his words stumbled.
"This is the fissure of confusion. From its bowels a foul smoke that confuses the minds
of those that walk this barren land. You've no reason to breathe the smoke or watch the fissure."
Vile watched the fissure erupt but averted his eyes and nose. The robed man began to walk once more
And Vile followed but not quite in toe for his eyes were gazed upon an object in the distance.
The object shined brightly into his eyes, and he looked away.
Finally after some time walking the object was clear. A mirror of little differential semblance
to any other mirror. Soon Vile looked upon the glass and saw his face wrinkle and his hair
turn gray. "And this trickery, robed man?" his tone sour and bleak. "It is illusion, again, dear Vile.
This is the mirror of maturity. Look upon it and see your age pass with future time." The questions were plenty
For Vile was still confused, but not by fissures or maturity--rather of smoke and mirrors.
But before he could talk his guide began to walk. The void in the sky grew closer and closer
As each step past. "This is where your journey ends, dear Vile. I shall not leave you with
No good point, for I leave you with much choice as to what your visit here should be like.
Do not reminisce on this, only think what you shall do when you come upon a burning wood,
For perhaps it shall become your visit to this barren land."
The sky filled with hue and emptied rain onto the fire. The summer's gone
And Autumn struck. The leaves left in the trees turned yellow and red.
And the rain drops gathered in the golden masses, dripping water as cold as ice
Into the ground. And then Vile looked upon a puddle and saw the sky
Filled with the void of his dreams.
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Only doing this. Divine Comedy had three, Inferno, Paradise and Purgatory but that was based on medieval beliefs and interpretations of the Bible, etc.
This is my own interpretation. If anyone can translate it..bravo
