(and many others) part two of two

the elders shook their heads
long had they known this one would be trouble
but their concern was for the village
not the individuals

so they told him what he wanted to know;
told him of the cave, high on the cliff
overlooking the lush valley
on the other side of the mountains

of the ancient one who called the place home

he set off on his journey immediately,
as they had known he would
they argued amonst themselves
of when he would return

his journey was long, arduous,
but he was determined;
long the purposeless one,
but now driven by curiosity

he found him in the cave
choked with smoke
a wizened old man
cooking over a wood stove

he could not refuse the old man's offer
though he thought it strange;
were not the blessings to be saved
for special occasions, and times of trouble?

he followed his ritual,
read it aloud;
he was not sure what it meant
though it stung his heart

the old man would offer him no explanation
to this particular missive

so he gave in to his curiosity:
"Wise one, why do you do these things?
What can be worth it
To bear this burden for so many?"

the old man shook his head
"You think you know much.
But you know nothing.
I do not do these things for you.
I do them for me
And for many others.
Cast out your fears,
Your distrust.
Take advice as it is offered,
freely given,
for nothing in return."

he stayed with the old man for a time,
learning a little of his craft,
then returned to his village
the elders quarreled amongst themselves

in time, he felt he understood
what the old man had meant
and so he began to misread the gifts
embellishing them with extra clauses
or rephrasing them to be less ambiguous

he found in them
another means to authority

much time passed
the old elders were no more
though there were new elders
his family grown older needed
his guidance no more

and so he returned to the old man's cave
but the old man was not there

so he mixed the dough
and rolled it
and baked it

and he took pen to paper
and began to write


buzzard