Caritas non gaudet super iniquitatem, congaudet autem veritati.
If in the desert is rare to see a flower
How did I come across such a tower?
Covered in ivy and fruits never seen
There to be eaten! Themselves so keen!
Hungry and thirsty I entered its gates
Hoping to change the strangest of fates.
On a strange Rock I almost stumbled,
So, I looked up: my heart almost crumbled!
An infinite number of books old and new
Along all the walls! What a weird view!
Levels and levels connected by stairs
With lights, tables, paper, and chairs!
Before I describe my bookish ascension
There’s one thing I can’t fail to mention
Outside I saw the entire construction
Top to bottom, there is no objection!
But as my eyes looked for the ceiling
What an outstanding, unearthly feeling!
There was no sealing in any proximity
But books and books up to infinity.
I started ascending that endless tower
And as I climbed I gathered more power
For whenever I found a cozy nook
I stopped to read at least one book.
With me, my knowledge ascended as well
And so did my excitement, I cannot tell!
Ideas and insights, amazing discoveries
That made me forget all my priorities.
Of both God and man I learned quite a lot
Of angels invisible, fallen and not,
More and more knowledge, thirst unreacheable
On how I ought to know? Sadly unteachable.
But I saw, with foolish astonishment,
That also my pride received nourishment
And thus it became so swollen and leaking
Black bile spoiled the science I was seeking.
And out of that espousal of insanity
Started to grow the fruits of my vanity
Which developed into horrid creatures
Mockingly imitating my features.
And out of all the books I read
The sons of pride decided to spread
Using my own proud bile as food
Abusing books otherwise very good.
I couldn’t rule them, strong and numerous
My self-inflicted ill became tumorous
I was their slave, of food their source
My proud bile was their main course.
The dark bile that brought them to life
They drunk with much greed and some strife
A heinous show of lust and dirtiness
Caused and fed by my own emptiness.
And here we reach a point climactic
When our ascend reached the attic
The roofless tower finally ended
When misery had me fully apprehended.
“Be assured that you will die soon”
Said a new creature as pale as the moon
“The only escape is to fall to your death
Pride won’t let you. I’ll have your last breath!”
As I looked down at the stumbling Rock
I saw something that left me in shock
The Rock was a ball of mightiest Fire
To some it was death, to some Purifier.
With power and speed words can't explain
The Fire arose and broke my cruel chain
And to all the creatures’ utter surprise
They saw me fall to my apparent demise.
As I was falling to my utter destruction
My eyes were looking in every direction
All those books and knowledge transcended
By the raw reality of how my life ended.
But as I looked at that Fire bright
I almost lost all my dark fright
Now the Fire was shaped like two arms
Of love so abounding that hatred disarms.
The Fire was able to kill and to save
And my assurance began thus to wave
A golden inscription put doubt to shame
“Everlasting” was the fiery Arms’ name.
Those mighty Arms stopped my descent
But something was burning, a foul scent
It was my pride the one that was burning
And so were the fruits of my unruled yearning.
The Fire indeed stopped the fall to my end
But since He wanted to call me His friend
I went through that purifying blaze of love
Which now had the shape of a great Dove.
It was very painful, but a sweet pain divine
Just like the most pleasantly healing wine
I reached the floor, saved, although sore
But wait, my reader, there is some more!
Next to me the “Rock” that made me stumble
Was actually a Book among all the most humble
And on that Book a dove white and pure
Flapping its wings with joy for my cure.
“Are you the great Dove?” I asked delightedly
“I’m not the One. Still, hearken devotedly!
Before you go after Knowledge above
Remember to combine it with the Love
Revealed by the Man who died on the Cross
And who for you judged not a loss
To come down from heaven, being the Son,
Who through pain and death your enemies won,
And rose again to give the Holy Ghost
Who caught you today and made you His host.
Being just by His grace, be still and recall:
Humility is the way, pride is your fall.”
© Marco Barone, 2021.
