There is a place for mythology,
A place for it not only
In the heart but
In the storybook
At the core of the social narrative
That ties people
To their history and ancestry,

The Mythic Hero
That slays the Dragon,
That seizes Troy
But falls on his heels,
That stands tall as a metaphor
For hubris and the limits of
Human perfection,
On the battlefield and off of it;

The Mythic Beasts
Like the Unicorn and the Leviathan
That patrol the boundaries
Of life and death and judgment
And the permanence of finality
And God’s power above it all;

The mythos of ancient cities
Like Atlantis and Sodom and Gomorrah
And the lands of the underworld
That emphasize and expand upon the depths
Of humanity’s intrinsically evil nature
When the good in it is restrained by sin
And the fragility of righteousness
Is emblazoned on the brain and the soul
Of the Conscience;

And of the Arts
Of painting Of theater Of poetry
That are eternally carved
By the Great Sculptor
Of birth and fate
As the bridge between
The carnal and the divine,
Of culture and consequences

That are forever cleaved into our collective psyche
As the fables and lessons and reasons
For morals and monsters and men.

Published by Andrew Blitman

Andrew Blitman is a poet and artist who is also the webmaster of this blog. He is the published author of 13 books, including "Birthright 2012: A Voyage into the Heart and Soul of Israel" and the "Wild Writers" Series. He can be reached at this e-mail address: andrew.blitman@gmail.com View all posts by Andrew Blitman