Le cimetière

By Mory Keita

Les cadavres de morts englouties  le terrain,

Comme des corbeaux penchés  sur de la viande fraiche.

La sérénité du cimetière me fait pense’ a l’éternité.

Ah éternité !  Englouti moi dans ta profondeur sèche ;

Englouti moi que je puisse échapper à la mort.

 ( English version)

Dead bodies engulf the terrain,

Like crows perched upon fresh meat.

The serenity of the cemetery makes me think about eternity.

Ah eternity! Sink me into your dry profounder,

Sink me that I can escape death.

Le cimetière

Midas -- A poem

                                                     By Mory Keita

O Muse who sings undying songs into my ears,

Sing unto me songs of that mighty king fate wronged.

When he stood atop Olympus, above cold-hearted Hera,

And said unto the people of Pessinus and to all of Greece,

“I have amassed fortune beyond the Olympian himself,

if you follow me, I shall lead you to greater fortune.”

And the priests of the temple of Hera said unto him,

“O son of Gordias! do not let the curse for your sacrilege

Befall upon your house and people. Beware of the immortals.”

And wise men amongst the people of pessinus came unto him.

They said, "O mighty king! When shall this treasure befall upon us?

Surely we shall hail your name if you fill this town with treasures.”

He unwrapped the golden turban from his hand and said,

“O my people, this is our treasure. Your wish has been granted.”

And they said, “By Hermes,  is  this the granted treasure?”

He raised his hand towards Helios, bursting out of laughter,

“Hermes is poor.  This hand of mine shall enrich us. Hail me.”

And they asked, “Show us gleam of it, if you are truthful.”

He walked in the courtyard and touched a pot. It turned gold.

They sang his name, bowed to him. Cold-hearted Hera burned.

He called upon his young daughter to feast his miracle,

But lo and behold!had he touched her that she turned golden.

“O fate! My beautiful daughter, she is cold like water.”

 Midas battered his chest, felt upon his knees in imploring.

He ran to the priests demanding the mercy of the Olympian,

But had he touched them that they too turned gold.

And so were all the peoples of pessinus turned into gold by Midas touch.

And it is said that since that day Midas became poorer and died miserable.

Midas -- A poem

Part 1 :My miserable existence

                                                          

                                                       By Mory Keita

                                                  Part 1: Genesis 

             This forest of solitude, with singing birds perched on its colossal branches at sunsets and sunrises, has always been a sanctuary of meditation and peace of heart for my troubled soul. Its enchanting floras and fauns, earth and heaven, and perfumed air like fresh coffee bring the spirit of life itself—a spirit strange to my monstrous being; for of little meaning and relevancy is an outcast’s existence. A life voided of love, affection and things dear to men’s hearts. The more I see of it, the more I realize how miserable and  dull my vagabond life has been. Punished by the hands of my own father to endure the curses and sufferings of Atlas, the titan and Sisyphus, the king and hated by men and beasts alike, I hurled my rage in an empty bottle, for my universe is a vacuum with silence and grief as my sole companions. I attempt to relieve my grief by writing down my feelings. My life is but damnation, I do not know the tenders hands of a mother , the enchanting kiss of a lover or heard the wise advice of a caring father like others living creatures. I was born motherless, a result of my father’s experiment to defeat Hades, the god of the underworld.

                                                                                                                    

                                                                                             

         Atlas supports the earth on his giant shoulders for his rebellion against Zeus, the mighty god of the Olympus, Sisyphus is cursed to eternally  push a gigantic boulder to the top of the hill, only to watch it roll back down and to repeat it forever for his avarice, cruelty and mischief. But, I was punished only for being reborn. This miserable existence of mine began in a dark cold cloudy winter days when my father, Victor Frankenstein, a scientist obsessed with life, began his mad quest to discover the secret behind heavens most precious and sacred gift, life.

         In his boundless insanity, he spent many years studying the function of the brain, natural philosophy and alchemy at the university he attended. After graduation, he spent his fortune conducting experiments in an isolated laboratory situated at the heart of Berlin, the site of modern western science and civilization. There he  gradually began planning his sacrilege creating the needed chemicals and electric circuits to accomplish his inhumane goal. After completing his preparations, he stole my dead body from my grave andiit revived  with his electrical machine. Thus, I was reborn. After seeing me, he ran from the laboratory, heart pounding afraid.

Part 1 :My miserable existence

Part 2 :My miserable existence

By Mory Keita

Part 2: Adventure in the Garden of Eden

           

         After being abandoned by my father, I was drawn to the daily spectacles taking place outside  the box in which  I lived in. The incessant noises of the crowded streets, the dark smoke of the trains passing by, merchant women calling on pass byes to buy their merchandises, children playing catch me if you can and running in the avenues, a group of old men smoking pipes while others  played chess and shared life experiences charmed my wandering spirit. I was particularly intrigued by a university professor, whose  name escapes my short memory, who seemed very bright and righteous. Therefore, one night, I decided to secretly venture into his chamber to question him about my father and myself, for if there was a man who would have been able to tell me my identity, it had to be him.

        I went to his chamber walking slowly and calmly, like a cat. Seated in the right corner of his vast room, he was reading a book of geology which he seemed to enjoy. I approached him as politely as I could, and then tapped his shoulder. He turned his face towards me.

“Who is this?” he said with a soft gentle tone.

“Sorry for the interruption sir….” I replied back as gently as I could.

         Before I could articulate my sentence he ran heart pounding afraid and disappeared from my sight . I went back to the laboratory, wondering about the cause of the professor’s sudden disappearance. “What is the ghost that scared this gentleman or was it simply my giant posture and pale face?” I wondered throughout the day in solitude.

        Long I spent waiting, thinking and dreaming—dreaming like a lazy dog of an unknown father’s return, but my patience was in vain. So, the next day, at dawn I disguised my self like a typical townsman by wearing some old cloths left by my father before his sudden departure.Dressed like an upper class gentleman,  i walked slowly and confidently. To my unpleasant surprise, the people seemed to be in fear of seeing a hideous monster like me, as they murmured to each other. Hatred  consumed their souls, but despite their envious and heinous eyes, I continued my journey of exploring the town.  

           The town, with its majestic vista and rich people had nothing more enchanting than my precious Lady Janet. She was a pearl of heavenly beauty—a beauty above earthly minds.

                                          Soft and gentle like snow,
                                          She climbs the moon like shadow
                                          Then her beauty fades forever.
                                    

        The first time I saw her passing by, our eyes met and like a god-sent angel, she smiled at me. Much I marveled in knowing that such an enchanting ghastly creature could have a sincere interest in a monster like me. Isn’t fantastic—beauty and the beast.I followed her gently to pay my compliments to her loveliness. “Excuse me my lady. May I know your name?” I said calmly approaching her, “Ewww, Monster, Monster!!” she yelled hysterically running like a fearful tiger chased by elephants or Cerberus itself. Much I marveled again, “Why such a delicate flower would run from a gentleman being courteous”. Saddened and disappointed by this unorthodox conduct, I isolated myself for days to meditate on reasons people are scared of me, and decided to venture into the wildness. After days of thinking, I came to the conclusion that in the Garden of Eden, all creatures of god are not equal in status— only appearance matters, not personality nor intention.      

Part 2 :My miserable existence

Part 3 :My miserable existence

By Mory Keita

Part 3 : Day of judgement 

             

         All stood before the Lord to testify and receive honors for their deeds but I was the only one blamed for the misery and fate of mankind. Behold, an angry crowd of poor peasants approached , axes and machetes in hand, ready to attack and beat me till my last breath. “Monster,” they shouted furiously hurling young and old, men and women like possessed  by a mysterious invisible dark force pushing them. Barking dogs, mounted horse men positioned to attack and kill me at any instant, and an angry mob of peasants with red eyes, furious like bulls, chased me while shouting “kill the monster, kill the monster.” I felt the need to prove my innocence, believing in the teachings of the book of the Lord, which promise fair judgment for all.

“What monstrous sin did I commit to deserve such hospitality?” I asked peacefully of them, but their shadows approaching me kept growing bigger and bigger.

 “Kill the monster, kill him!” they repeated louder than before, branding their tools and arms against me, ordering their dogs and pets to bait me and tear  my body into shreds , leaving me with pain and injuries.

“Hear me, O noble people, I never insulted you, touched your properties, plantations or herds. All I ever wanted was food and water to appease my hunger and thirst. Is this how you treat strangers?” I tried to reason with them.

They heard, but did not listen; they saw but did not reason. They continued approaching me.

“O good heaven, what have I done to deserve such a burden on my head that no mortal has ever had?”

Their shadows approached my silhouette quickly.

“Monster,” a priest leading the crowd shouted at me, the cross of Christ at hand “by the heavens that bend above us, tell me, and tell me what thou satanic creature want from us?”

“I am sorry, food” I replied quickly.

“Monster,” he said again,“by the God that protect us all, tell me, tell me banished creature, messenger of evil what dost thou want from us?”

          Seeing that I had no chance of convincing them of my good intentions, I ran, hiding behind trees in the forest and bushes. But they pursued me and tried to kill me until I disappeared from their sights. From that day I learned that the only just judgment is God’s, not men’s.

Part 3 :My miserable existence

Part 4 :My miserable existence

                                                        
                                                         By Mory Keita

                                              Part4:  Revelation
                    “To be, or not to be, that is the question."
                                                  Hamlet, Shakespeare

              Long I walked searching, like a desert nomad, for father’s location. I crushed earth and heaven wandering across seas and land like Ulysses “following knowledge like a sinking star beyond the utmost bond of human thought”.
         I finally found my father’s mansion in an isolated place in Scotland and decided to pay him a visit that night. When darkness enveloped the sky like carpet, I adventured into his chamber through a broken window. While jumping at the window, I imagined my father jumping on my shoulders, crying of happiness. I imagined him ordering a banquet for his beloved son's return.
            I calmly entered the entrance to his chamber room and sat in an old chair in a dark corner of the room and began contemplating the family's tableaus hung on the tall, decorated walls of the chamber. These are my ancestors, great gentlemen and ladies; I felt pride in my heart seeing the nobles of my lineage. Suddenly, there came a tapping as someone entering the door. I hid by the rose decorated curtain covering the window, then there came a person entering. My heart pumped as I observed the tall silhouette approaching my hideout.
“Father,” I said uncovering myself.
“Who are you? What are you doing in my chamber?” he instantly replied, shivering as if he had feared this moment for so long.
“I am… I am your son,” I replied, approaching the sun light to make my face more visible and distinguishable.
“Do not approach me, Monster,” he yelled trembling, “I have no son.”
He took a few seconds to look at my face, and then, realizing who I was, moved backward little by little as if searching to escape.
“Have you forgotten me father?” I said astonished by his hostile welcome.
“No, my God, what have I done? You are a mistake”   he said with remorse, hands on his chest.
Confused, I looked into his blue eyes and said, “but, I am your son, flesh of your flesh”.
“Don’t you understand you are not human, you are a monster, my punishment for my sins” he said crying.
     My soul felt like a asteroid from sky. I parted from the chamber, sad, furious, and lost, then set out to travel the world while waiting of a revelation from heaven.

Part 4 :My miserable existence

Part 5 :My miserable existence

By Mory Keita

Part 5: Exodus 

          After my many disappointments, I set myself to traveling the uncivilized parts of the world in quest of knowledge and understanding. In that mid-October, I took the road to the Americas where I tried to live in harmony with nature’s wilderness. Living there, I found an inner peace and sense of belonging cultivated in harmony with the elements constituting the universe. I have found a new purpose in life— accepting who I am.

          To conclude my long and boring life story, I would like to explain the nature of happiness. Happiness is not beauty, talent or prestige. It is an inner voice that shows us the light to something farther ahead, a greater understanding of the world and its principles. Happiness is a combination of knowledge, identity and a sense of purpose.This is the tale of my miserable existence.

Part 5 :My miserable existence

He Wishes For The ClothsOf Heaven By W,B Yeats

I thought i would share with you one of my favorite poems , W.B Yeats' He wishes for the clothes of heaven. despite its brevity  this poem conveys strong emotions and thoughts.

Had I the heaven's embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,

I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

He Wishes For The ClothsOf Heaven By W,B Yeats