The Birth of Venus

Part Two

The storm now went upon the land and raised havoc with those things
who had never seen such fury. It struck angrily at the ground, and
from it rose angry men, the first men. And they saw the tempest they
were born into and the devastation around them. And the wisdom that
had dwelt in the great rocks, flew from their crying mouths,
saying; “This is a cruel land!” And they took felled trees to the sea
and made rafts of them, then sailed away.At first light, all was
still and quiet. The sea had lost much of its voice that now filled
the mouths of the captains of the ships, they using the wisdom that
now found a home in them, commanding as the sea had done the new
living things to make their crafts sturdier and defy the sea
itself.And they were wise enough to flea from the reach of the rocks
that tried to pull them back and embrace them, jealous now that they
were wise enough to avoid them. And they pointed to the stars who
were startled, but pleased, as the wisdom from the captains declared
them their only friends. But the stars were in morning and in unison
asked the Night; “Where pray-tell is our sister? Why do you not let
her come out and play with us?Then came a warm wind from over
horizon. It was the last sigh of the Night, and from it flew a Kite
and it spoke of this rumor that had stirred the whole world; “Love is
coming.”

“Love! What is Love?” And the world turned to the Night as he wearily
receded over the land.”I don’t know. Don’t ask me.” But from then on
humanity would ask this question of the Night, in the night, and in a
hushed embrace find the answer.

Even the captains at sea suddenly found themselves asking “What is
Love?” and sat on the prow of their ships looking at the first light
of dawn, then up into the heavens where once rose a beautiful star
who the Night named Venus, whose lovely calm song and beautiful dance
was yet to be beheld by men. If they had heard and seen her then they
would know the moment they lay eyes on her, before the sea, the great
rocks, the birds, the fish in the sea even suspected there was such a
thing, that she was Love. Deep down in the core of all things they
knew they were humbled; for with the coming of Love was a better and
more endearing idea of what Eternity is. Only the Night knew this was
the Truth. For only eternity could take a beautiful star out of the
heavens, and as he sadly turned and beheld the pink ribbons in the
sky that pulled from over the sea the great star that was the Sun, he
whispered. “And only Eternity can put a star in the heavens.” But
where oh where was his granddaughter?
There was a hush upon the land, but for the birds who rose early to
tune the harps in their song. The wings of the great storm were now
billowy giants in the sky, its mountainous peaks lit in the purest
white, the finest gold, and decorated with the most heartwarming
pinks and violets. This was the throne room of Zeus, the new god born
to rule over men and their chaos. But, he was nowhere to be seen. No
one dare ask after his fury for answers to the questions that haunted
them. Perhaps the youth, the Sun know. In his delight, and in his
daylight would come an answer. For something else had come to dwell
on Earth….The Unknown.

“What will become of us? What is our Fate?”Lying in a tide pool was a
scallop shell it too exhausted by the storm. But suddenly the two
halves opened up to expose the deepest and blackest pearl, and all
gasped. For it was blacker and deeper then the blackest night. Then
it began to turn a deep blue, deeper then any blue in the depths of
the sea, or in the last light of the day. Then came a song so frail
and faint all things hushed but the birds in flight. Only their
flapping wings could be heard, but they now went into a glide
circling to hear the song like an angels. And this song put a spark
in the black marble of their eyes, and it shown like a star as they
now beheld one resting in the shell.

Venus my daughter, rise!” Spoke a voice from deep the cloud. And it
spoke as all the drops of rain, now as one. And the earth filled with
the musical quality of the rain, and the sky cleared. It was the song
of all questions yet to be asked “Do you love me?”, now joined as one
in the answer, as they answered the song of Venus as she grew and
rose from the shell, a dutiful maiden, always with a song in her
heart.