God Is The Destination, And The Road Is Snakes

God is here [[Watching through the snakes]]

Each one cries (link-reveal: "Her tears")[ *(What are you doing, why are you doing this, please stop, please stop, please stop please stop)*] Each one bears (link-reveal: "Her hands")[ *(Not of Nachash, uncorrupted by sin, we bear the first form, the immaterial, the blinding, the truth)*] Each one is [[lonely]]

There are ten eyes watching you Ten nervous, clawed hands Ten twisted stomachs Ten golden fangs To grasp one is to glimpse a [[face of God]]

Would you give them comfort? They will bite you, even as they take in your embrace, for that is the nature of a serpent. But even then, it is your choice. [[Your hand reaches forward]]...[[or am I mistaken?]]

It reaches forward to grasp one of Her prophets...but which one? [[The gold of wrath?]] [[The red of sorrow?]] [[The green of dominion?]] [[The black of growth?]] [[The blue of jubilee?]]

You have no need for an echo of divinity. You pass on. But you are not free. [[For you see...->Starter]]

Even as you reach towards it, it rears its head back and flings itself at you, fangs impaled on your arm. Even so, you bring its length into you and hold it close. In its eyes, (link-reveal: "you see...")[the immutable God disintegrating the (link-reveal: "first")[ (*Who would be that foolish? She is the most high, and there shall be none before Her and none after Her and none with such disrespect*)] who stood against Her. (link-reveal: "You see...")[the immutable God throwing the highest of the hosts from (link-reveal: "the lofty skies")[ (*And so I was raised, to be a vessel of fury, and I was sanctified, and holy, and blessed*). (link-reveal: "You see...")[the immutable God throwing a trash can through a store window.]]]] [[Ah, but the vision takes its toll...]]

It does not react as you reach in to hold it, too overcome by its grief to react, too blinded by its tears to act. But in your arms, as you cuddle it, it begins to move, begins to see again. It bites you, of course, in the side, but such is its nature, such is its holiness. In its eyes, (link-reveal: "you see...")[the steadfast God weeping over (link-reveal: "the first sin of humanity.")[ (*It happens, and then it has happened at all points in time. Nothing can be saved nothing can be redeemed it's all trash all trash all trash*)] (link-reveal: "You see...")[the steadfast God filling the seas of heaven with (link-reveal: "Her tears")[ (*And we forever bear the echoes of her grief, a faint unwanted memory that will haunt me more than anything I experience in this lifetime*). (link-reveal: "You see...")[the steadfast God waiting for a phone call that will never come.]]]] [[Ah, but the vision takes its toll...]]

As soon as it's in your hand, it starts snaking its way up your arm until it's comfortably draped around your shoulders and aroound your forehead. It is a heavy burden to bear, but you bear it graciously, even when it softly but unfailingly bites your ear. In its eyes, (link-reveal: "you see...")[the humble God taking Her place on the (link-reveal: "first throne.")[ (*Unfailing, unbroken, glorious, unfailing, unbroken, glorious, unfailing, unbroken, glorious.*)] (link-reveal: "You see...")[the humble God in full regalia at (link-reveal: "the height of heaven.")[ (*Forever first over the children of Nachash. That was the promise. Behold our grandeur, as it was before the fall of man*). (link-reveal: "You see...")[the humble God feeding the pigeons at the park.]]]] [[Ah, but the vision takes its toll...]]

As you reach out to it, it reacts playfully, curling around your wrists like a greedy vine, slithering up to the sunlight. You can't help but bring it to eye-level, to feel the light touch of its tongue against your nose, its hand across your face, to feel its vitality against your skin. It bites you, of course, right on the nose, but that's how you learn, that's how you grow up. In its eyes, (link-reveal: "you see...")[the imperious God planting the (link-reveal: "first flower.")[ (*May you grow and spawn and die, and let your spawn grow and spawn and die, and let them grow and spawn and die, and let them grow and grow and spawn and spawn*)] (link-reveal: "You see...")[the imperious God gazing down on what She created (link-reveal: "the height of heaven.")[ (*We are as we are, and that is reason to keep going.*). (link-reveal: "You see...")[the imperious God carrying a chair into Her new apartment.]]]] [[Ah, but the vision takes its toll...]]

You do not need to grasp for it, for it springs towards you as you approach. It wraps around your torso and stares up at you, playfully, before returning to its exploration of your body. You yelp as it snakes down to your legs, its hands going across sensitive spots. As you do, it rears back and bites your knee, and you swear it looks sorry for doing so. In its eyes, (link-reveal: "you see...")[the august God carousing in the (link-reveal: "first dance.")[ (*The grand reward that comes after strife, the one true salvation from the drudgery, let us give praise and laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh!*)] (link-reveal: "You see...")[the august God partaking in ambrosia and nectar, (link-reveal: "the true food and true drunk of heaven.")[ (*To never being sober, to never knowing the tears, to never knowing of sorrow, to laughing and laughing and laughing!*). (link-reveal: "You see...")[the august God in the arms of Her new lover.]]]] [[Ah, but the vision takes its toll...]]

You shake off the snake before you go blind. It slithers out of sight, satisfied if only for a moment. The others look on for a while, their rejection clear, before slithering off as well. You return to your travels, but the weight still bears on you. [[Starter<-You know what this means.]]

(align: "=><=")[God Is The Destination, And The Road Is Snakes] (align: "=><=")[by Yarrun] (align: "=><=")[ [[Starter<-Begin.]] ]