The Incident

[bnewman]

A poem of spiritual seeking gone horribly awry, but redeemed in the end.  This one is largely autobiographical.

by Benjamin Newman

 

An alchemist one day discovered an urge

To summon an angel, and kiss her, and merge

Divinity draws us, we long for the sky

And we don't always know what we're seeking, or why

 

He set up a lab, and he gathered a team

He gave it his all in pursuit of his dream

He acquired the notebooks of those who'd succeeded

But they sat on his bookshelf, unread... and unheeded

 

The alchemist didn't know what he was doing

Didn't realize the power of what he was brewing

Didn't take the precautions — not meaning to shirk —

But the work drove the madness, and the madness the work

 

The field was established, the vessels were filled

And gradually energy started to build

The portal was small, but it slowly took form

And the air in the lab grew concerningly warm

 

In rare, fleeting moments the angel was seen

But always a pane of glass stood in between

And he could have stopped there — the next stage would be rough —

But to see and not touch her was never enough

 

At last he was ready, at least so he thought

But he knew he was doing it, ready or not

He said to his team: This is it, wish me luck!

Stepped into the field, flipped the switch -- lightning struck

 

The field flared and flickered, the vessels all cracked

The terrified team were all taken aback

After all the hard work, after all their devotion

The portal collapsing... the shock... the explosion...

 

Sharp shards and hot god-stuff went all over the lab

The alchemist was scalded, his assistant was stabbed

The whole team ran, screaming — no one looked back again —

And they taped up the door: theohazard, type ten

 

The lab was in ruins, to clean up took a year

But when it was done, and the rubble was cleared

And the shards were all sorted, and disposed of with care

The field was still up, and the angel was there

 

Her robes were in tatters, her wings were unwound

The fall had been brutal, the portal unsound

After all of the damage, to merge was too much

But at least she was there — they could speak, they could touch

 

In time she recovered, her presence was healing

Her countenance kind, her expression revealing

She spoke of the dangerous game he had played

And he swore he would learn, and she smiled, and she stayed

 

Now, the alchemist could have been broken by guilt

But he worked through his fears, and the lab was rebuilt

And the field was restarted, though not quite as strong

And it still hums away, generating new songs

 

If you summon an angel, be wise and beware

Take every precaution, take time to prepare

Renew your commitment, check all your equipment

And take it from me, 'cause I know — I was there