Power Shutdown of Hercules

Blogger friend, travel writer, versatile photographer, and columnist and editor, Lakshmi Sharath, recently visited Jordan. Amman , the capital, is situated on hilly area of north-western Jordan. The city was originally built on seven hills. The Citadel hill of Amman, is home to the Temple of Hercules, which once held a 13 metre statue of Hercules.  All that remains today, amidst the marble pillars and ruined structures of the temple, is  a giant fist of Hercules, lying , clutching the earth, some distance away from a piece of elbow.

Hercules , was a demigod, in the pantheon of ancient Gods , who had very colorful and eventful lives.  To atone for some mindless violence, he was ordered to do some jobs for King of Mycenae, and these, equally revengeful and violent assignments were known as the labors of Hercules.  

Maybe he never learnt a proper lesson.

Maybe we should.

(photograph by Lakshmi Sharath)

High
on a Citadel in Amman
in rippling musculature
he stood
celebrated in his own temple.

Lauded by those
who knew
the labors of Hercules;
all about
killing, trapping,fetching,
getting rid of,rounding up,
and destroying;
lions,boars,bulls, gods,
apples, belts, kings, damsels
and such.

Today,
fallen,
only
his massive fist remains,
tightly clutching
the Earth,
elbow
orphaned
a bit away.

A pointer
that
living is all about
sensible talk,
hand-shakes,
reasoning,
and tolerance,
and those
entities
that abuse this
for selfish power gain,
will experience,
a power shutdown,
and leave them
fallen and scrambling
trying
to hold on
to an earth,
fast slipping through their fingers.