Part 1 - The Father

Unconquered,
he moves o’er the mountains
breaking the day, waking the birds
—and they call out to him,
singing the first hymns

He looks down
And his morning gaze paints
the peaceful valley
gold

Awakened, men rise
and douse the fires
that they kindled in his likeness
and stoked in his absence

For in his light
the darkness of the unknown retreats

and men can see clearly enough
to separate object from object,
and thought from thought,
and deed from deed…

…and in his light
men give names and values
and rulers make rules
and kings draw lines
and wild chaos is reigned in
and placed in holy order…

…and so it goes…
The Father’s golden chariot rolls
across the afternoon sky
and the eagles hunt
and the spotted deer leap
and the fields of barley
waver softly in the breeze…

…and The Father watches
as the children play
and the Sons of Day
dream and reach
toward virtue
like sprouting trees
Stretching upward
toward truth and beauty
and excellence

ἀρετή

The ordered realm expands
and the people prosper
and the sun shines
and The Father nods from his high seat
where he watches all things

Part 2 - The Dragon

But then — in the distance
something stirs in the shadows
Twisting and turning over itself
And its gaping maw yawns
rattling like death — ravenous

and the beast is hungry for the end of creation
the end of value and differentiation

The old dragon stirs…
…and the dragon’s name is Negation.

The Father sees The Dragon
and he knows what must be done

Part 3 - The Striker

He pulls the clouds across the sky
to shield the heavens from his fury
and with a thunderous clap
he summons the gods of the storm
his Strikers, his Bulls!

And as his champions ride in
on chariots of gold
their gallant faces turn
and heaven’s drums boom
and the host becomes
terrible to behold
like death to fight doom.

And the eagles shriek
and the wind howls
and the grass on the steppe
whips up like waves
on a wild sea

And The Father’s light breaks
through the gathering tempest

And he raises his voice
and the whole world shakes
and the giants of the sky
roar like lions

And The Father says:

BULLS!

Self-yoked, bold, and blameless! Hammers of Heaven!
The black dragon returns to rob men of meaning, to break their spirits
And drag them to the void

BULLS!

The Dragon will say that every effort is wasted, that every dream is delusion
That everything dies, and every name will be forgotten
Well, one day even the sun will die —
but now, look up and see how it burns!

BULLS!

Now is your time to burn like the sun.
Rise up while you live and become what you are!
Drive back this darkness!
Be my thunder! Be my fury! Be my storm!

And The Father says:

BULLS!

BE. MY. LIGHTNING.