This is the conclusion to Fool’s Odyssey.  To read it from the beginning, click here.

Epilogos: Easter Morning

Previously: The Fool’s search ended in the forest near a California grammar school.

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Later, on my third morning home in L.A.,

I snuck into a church and,

after everyone had gone home or on to the relative’s houses,

stole a Bible from a pew.

 

I spent most of the afternoon reading it.

There were things I’d never seen before.

Oh, they’d been there, but had somehow been invisible.

Until now.

Mostly I remember this:

The invisible things of God,

since the creation of the world,

have been made visible through that which can be seen. 

And so are you without excuse,

because, when you might have known God,

you chose instead

to hold to your vain imaginings. 

Your heart was darkened. 

Professing to be wise, you chose instead

to become a fool

and worship creation,

instead of your Creator. 

 

My foolish heart was broken.

Flash–darkness–flash–darkness–

Oh God.

Oh Hell.

Flash–darkness–flash–darkness–

Red—black–red—black–red—black—

“…just like every other cursed thing.”

Flash–darkness–flash–darkness–

Water, water, water, water–clouds.

Oh, God!

O Hell!

Flash–darkness–flash–darkness–

“Jump!  Jump!  Jump!”

Oh, God!

O Hell!

Flash–darkness–flash–darkness–

 

Then, somehow, I found these words:

“Come unto Me.” 

And I understood.

I finally understood.

 

“Come unto  Me,” it said,

“and I will give you rest.”

 

And so I did.

I finally did.

 

Wherefore, said the wise man,

remember now thy Creator

in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not,

nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say,

I have no pleasure in them;

while the sun, or the light, or the moon,

or the stars, be darkened,

nor the clouds return after the rain;

ere ever the silver cord be loosed,

or the golden bowl broken,

or the pitcher smashed at the fountain;

then shall the dust return to the earth,

and the spirit unto God who gave it. 

Vanity;

all is vanity and chasing after wind. 

Wherefore, said the wise man,

remember thy Creator. 

 

The words of the wise man,

the son of David,

the king in Jerusalem.

 

The words of the fool,

the sun had set,

the time had come.

∞ Teleos ∞