32: Poems of Another World (The King of Want)

A children's story from another world about the creation of mankind

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Moon of Amos, Moon of Ka

Black moon, white moon, in the night I saw

In the image of Gods, man was made

By the Collector Daemon beneath the shade

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Ka'Sharaan, The Spider of artifice

possessed a nature rather covetous

The idols he crafted to store in his vault

offended the Gods, whom mortals exalt

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In The Spider's treasury, the first man prayed

And Gods had answered, his life they saved

But the Collector Daemon is not easily bested

And challenged the Gods to trials most tested

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"We shall see who the better craftsman is

And the one who wins in this simple Quiz

Shall take possession of all the land

And be the owner of the one called man"

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This Ka challenged, and Amos answered

The God of Forging on the anvil tempered

A black star to blot the night sky

While Ka weaved one in the light held high

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The white moon cast a luminous mass

And the black moon glistened in the light like glass

But a mistake was made while Amos was forging

His hammer struck hard, and broke the casing

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On the black moon's surface, molten cracks spread

In intricate patterns like a Spider's web

And Ka'Sharaan, who saw this folly

Mocked Amos and laughed most jolly

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Before all the Gods, his victory he declared

But a mistake he made, Ka was not prepared

When the Gods accused him of foul play

He stood in shock and watched them say

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"The cracked moon is quaint, we like it more

The white moon is simple, drab, a bore

You dishonest daemon, tried to deceive

You tampered with Amos, such is your greed!"

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From high above, the gods declared

"The winner is Amos, our judgement is clear

Graceless loser, we know of your schemes

leave this place, you haunt of ugly dreams."

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But Ka'Sharaan, angered and bitter

swore to the Gods that he was no quitter

He promised that he would lead man astray

And steal them back into his vault to stay

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So, he became a collector of souls

And on the earth, men's spirits he stole

Our children would sing of The Spider's haunt

The Collector Daemon. The King of Want