it has always been this way

the hot summer sun, across a rock like a lizard, sunken eyes, your ribs poke through your skin, the vultures fly above, your skin starts to peel, in the shade, your thirst unending, so much you could drown in it, the gazelle, the lion, on the hill, god, moses, osiris, socrates, heaven, earth, hellfire, long naps in the grass, termites between your toes, the mosquitos drink your blood, malaria, you are dizzy, you are hungry, you are thirsty, mortal meals could not suffice, you crave something more, something with a heart, one that beats like yours, your blood in the sand, your sweat beaded across your forehead, gored like a pig, intenstines collect dust, the pulp of your brethren, the call of violence, the call to action, call of the wild, your every move, witnessed from above, forgotten in time, the sands of time, the sands of woe, the sands of eternity, it covers everything, stuck to you, against all odds, moisture from the rock, inner calling, delusion, millenia, the evening, the moon recedes, the sun rises, you rest your head in the hot summer sun, across a rock like a lizard, sunken eyes, your ribs poke through your skin, the vultures fly above, your skin starts to peel, in the shade, your thirst unending, so much you could drown in it, the gazelle, the lion, on the hill, god, moses, osiris, socrates, heaven, earth, hellfire, long naps in the grass, termites between your toes, the mosquitos drink your blood, malaria, you are dizzy, you are hungry, you are thirsty, mortal meals could not suffice, you crave something more, something with a heart, one that beats like yours, your blood in the sand, your sweat beaded across your forehead, gored like a pig, intenstines collect dust, the pulp of your brethren, the call of violence, the call to action, call of the wild, your every move, witnessed from above, forgotten in time, the sands of time, the sands of woe, the sands of eternity, it covers everything, stuck to you, against all odds, moisture from the rock, inner calling, delusion, millenia, the evening, the moon recedes, the sun rises, you rest your head in the hot summer sun, across a rock like a lizard, sunken eyes, your ribs poke through your skin, the vultures fly above, your skin starts to peel, in the shade, your thirst unending, so much you could drown in it, the gazelle, the lion, on the hill, god, moses, osiris, socrates, heaven, earth, hellfire, long naps in the grass, termites between your toes, the mosquitos drink your blood, malaria, you are dizzy, you are hungry, you are thirsty, mortal meals could not suffice, you crave something more, something with a heart, one that beats like yours, your blood in the sand, your sweat beaded across your forehead, gored like a pig, intenstines collect dust, the pulp of your brethren, the call of violence, the call to action, call of the wild, your every move, witnessed from above, forgotten in time, the sands of time, the sands of woe, the sands of eternity, it covers everything, stuck to you, against all odds, moisture from the rock, inner calling, delusion, millenia, the evening, the moon recedes, the sun rises, you rest your head in the hot summer sun

you've been mistaken your whole life

For as far as you can see fields of grass dance in a predictable rhythm. They lean all the way back like a contortionist at play. Late in the summer, they’ve begun to dry out to rough, whispy husks of yellow plant fiber. This complements the hue of the sky, the sun had reached its peak hours ago, and now makes its commute behind a cliff-face in the far distance. Its rays stretch out through pockets of humidity in the air and gently caress the grass before you. You rest your head down onto your hands in a similar fashion. You’ve only awoken from your mid-day slumber only a few moments ago, yet, you’ve already prepared for your next nap. Likely due to the sweltering heat that bakes the earth around you. Even should the sun finally make its way across the ___ sea to peak in the Indus River Valley, the ground would still echo its warmth while its antithesis takes the same route. Everything in the savanna is dozing off in the same fashion you do. Flies scatter around drunkly, without even the dexterity to harrass your senses. The birds conserve their energy, sparing not a single note from thier grand symphony. The cicadas rest themselves between the nooks of tree bark. You can hear them puttering their wings in long, drawn out whines. Everything is as it should be, not a stone unturned. You feel content where you are. Soon, you will be with your family, a harem shall return to you with news of your next bounty.

The mid-summer calm is interrupted by a cry in the distance. A long, drawn out wail cracks the air and is almost irritating to you as you laze about in comfort. Curiosity overtakes you as you rise to your feet and make a slow pace from under the ____ tree and into the bushes behind you. Your senses do not decieve you. It was indeed a fresh kill here, but to your surprise it’s nothing as you wanted. Not a gazelle, nor a water buffalo. It couldn’t possibly be a giraffe. No. What you witness before you is a lion. A small female, gored from her stomach through her sternum. Her insides had spilled out and trailing sloppily behind her - she slowly and agonizingly dragged herself here, only to perish in the hot sun.

Her maw was still regurgitating a combination of blood and vomit. The wound, while relatively shallow at the base, would pierce deeply into her flesh by the time it hit her diaphragm. Its shape implies that of a cone-ular instrument. It was far from a perfect wound; her flesh quite literally ripped apart from tension and there were sections where her intestines, now splayed out on the ground, resembled a mash. A reddish brown pulp cakes the ground around her. You consider the morality of it all, but the scent of blood is becoming more enticing by the moment. Whoever left her here clearly wasn’t out to eat her. They’ve left her to rot, perhaps as a reminder. Only the buzzards have begun to feast upon her, but it is clear they have just begun and require a lot less than you do.

Maybe you can share.

Why is it, you think, that despite all this gruel around you, you feast upon the lion? Is it complacency? In a few hours, you could have a full course meal presented to you. You must admit, you’ve never had a lion before and the notion seems so poetic. Lions are the top of the food chain - an alpha is considered the king of the jungle. Only a king is deserving of eating another - consider it a royal delicacy. Hell, it’s been presented directly in front of you, ripe for the picking. As you bow your head to take your first bite, something strikes the edge of your vision. On the high hill above, you see a silhouette. Its shadow stretches out on the same blood soaked bath as your compatriot in the dirt. On its head is its own crown, a crooked, jagged crown with two peaks. Standing tall, looking down at you, the shadowy figure watches your every move.

your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god, your god, you're god, yore god,

At this moment, the sun lands perfectly behind it, forming for just a moment the splitting image of its glory. Despite its thin frame, its confident stance is only reinforced by the king of all, the sun who provides life to all.