Thursday, July 10, 2008

Aztec Eyes


Painting by Rick Mobbs


Aztec Eyes

Lion king,
staring malevolently
from out of the
many colored stones—
how did you find your way
from Africa
to Central America;
how did you become
an Aztec god?

You are more
than a puma,
but not quite
a tiger—
yet you clearly have
leopard’s spots.

Your mane
radiates from solid rock
like shards from the sun.
Your crown is regal
qnd busy,
decorated with alien
yet familiar
glyphs.
Your whiskers are thick,
Blending magnificently
Into your liege’s collar.

One eye is red,
the other blue,
with battle, blood, and anger
on the right,
and the sea, and great lakes,
and waterfalls
and tears
on the left.

Have you appeared to me
as a portent of doom,
bellowing and roaring righteously,
needing to be heeded and heard
as a dark reminder,
or as a celebration,
a gift
for the awakened?

I see love
in your face,
and sternness,
and wonder,
and pity,
and pride—
frightening, fascinating
and fully feline;
yet so much
more,
a cosmic cat lord,
a galaxial anomaly.

I salute you,
obey you,
bow to you,
and reach out
in obeisance.
All I ask,
all I require
is that you be
more than mist,
more than paint,
more than granite;
that you be
all that is—
for we need you
now,
more than ever.

Glenn A. Buttkus July 2008

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glenn,
Thanks so very much for your latest offering! From your first few lines to that last one -- captures my yearnings so well. It is so great you have artistically rendered what is usually not be communicated. This piece seems as timeless and as profound as you are!

Dick

Anonymous said...

found it! I'll post it on the storybook.

Anonymous said...

a cosmic cat lord.. stunning...

Anonymous said...

Stunning,..indeed. I'm captivated by the whole of it, but the following lines really speak to me:

"One eye is red,
the other blue,
with battle, blood, and anger
on the right,
and the sea, and great lakes,
and waterfalls
and tears
on the left."

Exquisite, really.