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The Forbidden Union
_____Once
upon a time there lived a pure and true Love. This Love was bound by no
conditions and no limitations. Feeling the awesome power of his most unusual
gift, the Love decided to set out to find one worthy of its reward. The
Love traveled far and wide seeking one whose heart was boundless and free,
one within whom he could reside.
_____The search lasted for centuries, until
one day Love set his sights on a green and blue planet named Earth. Love
did not speak in words, but the vision he expressed could be translated
to mean, "I am most leery of this ball in the cosmos, for it bears
a name. To name anything immediately robs it of its truth. I wonder if
its inhabitants also bear such labels?"
_____Making his ascent on the ball, Love
was most appalled. Not only did the inhabitants bear labels, but all creatures
both living and motionless were bound in a web of rigid conditions. Each
object was named, and each carried a wealth of stereotypes. How could
Love find one who was worthy in such a place? Nevertheless, the gruesome
state of this planet intrigued Love, for he recognized a great challenge
in finding one worthy of him in such an environment. Eagerly he pressed
on.
_____The great ball of illumination which
appeared to sustain life on the planet - as well as mark a peculiar creature
known as time - stood still as the planet made its way around it. The
planet made this rotation three hundred sixty-five and one quarter times
to complete a cycle, and this completion occurred better than thirty times
during the duration of Love's quest. Finally, amidst the turmoil appeared
a fair maiden quite radiant and beautiful. As the earth completed more
than seven hundred revolutions, the worthiness of the creature became
clear.
_____Love began to think the unthinkable.
He could give himself entirely to this earthly wonder, making his essence
appear in her. Never before had he even remotely considered taking on
a physical manifestation, but she appeared to be the one worthy of making
this union a supreme gesture. Imagining the concept of combining the awesome
power of Love with a visible means of expression thrilled him greatly.
_____As he made his approach, her beauty
became more evident. Even Love was overwhelmed by her presence. The closer
he got, the more he recognized the potential of this union. His dream
was within his grasp, it could work! Love could truly imagine living inside
such a marvelous body, creating an omnipotent being capable of ordering
a confused world.
_____As he closed in, his excitement reigned
over the whole Earth. The moment of truth was near. The Earth would truly
never be the same. An unconditional being! Never before was it even a
possibility, yet now it was as near as his next breath. Moving closer,
he heard her voice inviting him in. Nearer, nearer, nearer, the dream
was to become real! Suddenly, at the instant prior to the magical union,
at the height of this bonding into one, the earth stood still on its axis,
for what would it be without its limitations? The very idea of an omnipotent,
unconditional being threatened the planet's reign and it struck with a
vengeance. Rocks pounded rocks and the seas began to moan. Twisters ravaged
the ground and hurricanes beat upon the shores. Upon seeing Love flee
on the winds of a great monsoon, the sun kissed the moon, signaling to
all the Earth's inhabitants that the laws of his domain would not change.
Its work had been done.
_____What a close call that fateful day,
for where would the planet be without its rigid laws and principles? And
how could Love have survived within these prison walls?
_____Escaping with his soul intact, Love
breathed a sigh of relief, but with his next breath he experienced a sensation
he'd never before known. For the first time he recognized a presence he
had heard Earthlings describe as grief. He recalled the beautiful one,
for he was sure even now that she was worthy to bear him. What would happen
to her now, so close to having it all only to see it disappear?
_____Looking back as he fled the scene, his
mind was put at ease, for he saw his chosen maiden still in the field
where their union was to occur. She danced a dance of freedom and delight.
He realized she would suffer no remorse for losing what might have been,
for like the others, she was a daughter of the earth and all its boundaries.
How could she possibly regret missing something she'd never truly known?
© 1993 - Paul Stephens
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