“Do not suppose the statements of the prophets to be true; they are all fabrications.” – al-Ma’arri
It is the age of the meaningless sacrifice,
when the weary God sleeps, and the holy mind
is executed; the age of divine nothingness,
when two and two make zero, and the flag
of suffering flutters in the winds of despair.
Abandonment, and the soul is sacrificed
to the mindless machines of Death;
inflicting pain without purpose, in life
without future. Confronted with life’s futility,
and disillusioned with the pursuit of blind
happiness, I went seeking the meaning
of existence, the purpose of the final sacrifice.
At the altars of the afterworld, I met an oracle,
and asked: which tragedy is greater: to die
for a just cause, or to die for a false one?
At length, he replied that all who are martyred
believe their cause is righteous. I nodded
in agreement, adding that the sins of the pious
see no repentance, and the crimes of the just
see no punishment; how, then, is one
to distinguish justice from wickedness?
The oracle merely smiled, and went on
muttering his holy incantations. Not satisfied,
I embarked for the City of Dis, seeking council
with the great Cynic; for it is said that he
has uncovered secrets of the material universe.
Disguised as a beggar, I snuck past the city
guards, who napped at their posts, but raised
some suspicion amongst the more nosy
authorities, for beggars, it seems, are either
thieves or philosophers; and often philosophy
is itself a crime. In a garbage strewn alleyway,
I came upon Diogenes, sleeping in the gutter,
while police sirens flashed, and a detective waited
nearby. With some difficulty, I woke him,
and implored that he divulge the purpose of human
existence. Irritated at this intrusion, he brusquely
pronounced that some things are so apparent,
it is only the wise who see them. Therefore,
look not for meaning, except in places where it may
be found. He then bade me farewell, and ambled
off amongst the refugees, the detective following
in his path. Considering his remarks, I decided
that to discover the purpose of life, I must seek
Paradise; for it is rumored that there, beyond life’s
periphery, is where the Divine Steward, keeper
of Death’s mystery, tends to the Throne of God.
On the advice of a merchant, I made for
the Crossroads, located at the intersection
of Here and There; for legend tells that at that place,
the Prophet, Gatekeeper of Paradise, will point
the way to those who seek his guidance. I arrived
during a hailstorm, as the road was churned
to mud. There stood the Prophet, a frail old man,
wearing a saber, his white garments spattered
with blood from the decapitated heads which lay
in puddles at his feet. O wise and courteous
Prophet, said I, enlighten me with your knowledge,
for I seek Paradise. The Prophet spoke, his voice
thundering throughout the wilderness: only those
who obey the Divine Laws of God the Infinite,
the Almighty, the Magnificent, the Wonderful,
the Just, the Pure, the Good, the Bountiful, the Merciful,
and the Omniscient, may gain entry to Paradise!
O wise and courteous Prophet, said I, enlighten me
with knowledge of these Laws, for I seek Paradise.
The Divine Laws were revealed, spoke the Prophet,
by God the King, Originator of Time, Creator
of the Universe, through His direct Revelation
to myself, God’s chosen vessel, Destroyer of Idols,
Prophet of Monotheism, Savior of Mankind!
O wise and courteous Prophet, said I,
enlighten me with knowledge of these Laws,
for I seek the true, and final Paradise.
Behold the Laws! he bellowed, bloodlust gleaming
in his eye, as he unsheathed his saber. On its shining
surface, I made out the holy inscriptions of the Laws.
Behold the Holy Martyrs of Faith! the Prophet
continued, as he waved his blade over the heads
of those who had been decapitated. They have
renounced their apostasy; in obedience
to the Laws they have been sacrificed; in Death
they have been granted the favorable mercy of God.
Such is the way to Paradise. The Prophet sheathed
his saber, and left me, there amongst the corpses
of the once living, once breathing human martyrs;
sacrificed by their savior, their souls departed to
their final rest in the far-off kingdom of Paradise.