WITHIN THE ANCIENT FOREST
All lyrics written by Andrew Tompkins
IN EXORDIUM
Music by J. De Ron
A pool of water, crystal clear and shimmering,
beneath the light of an ancient moon. The water's cold tranquillity, majestic
and refined in stillness and in clime, disturbed in brief by the passage
of a lone vessel; the boat in carriage of the solitary one; the cloaked
youth of sad temper and sorry virtue.
In time, and not before time, beneath the overhang
of tired branches, the vessel gains the embankment, the youth alighting
on the shore. He wraps the cloak for warmth against the asperity of
the night, and upon his gloved wrist the falcon waits until the light
of dawn reveals that which is unseen, of the landscape of the land.
As the boat moves off unnoticed, beneath a tree
he reclines to lie and I know this story well, as one should, of he
that is I.
SONG OF THE ANCIENT
Music by J. De Ron and A. Tompkins
The song I perceive as I wander through
the woods through the dim light of dawn, lilts as it's carried on soft
shifting winds through the stillness of this early morn.
"Upon the hill, east of the woods, the old man
stood rapt in thought; gazing, contemplative and lost in himself. His
old hands, fingers long and thin, but rugged, grasped the wooden staff.
It was familiar in his hand; crooked yet strong. How many times? How
often had he before this stood on this very place, lost within himself;
rapt in reflection? A light breeze swelled about him ruffling his hair
and wisps of beard, grey with age and wisdom of years. He had seen much,
experienced much and known friends in the Hidden Lands. But that was
before; before the Fall. Glancing downward, a sea of activity, the forest
teeming with life and lives. But lives are merely a doorway wherethrough
can be expressed the nature of the Ancient; the one who abides within
the Hidden Lands. The old man thinks 'I am become not what was intended
but through intent am become.' And so, in servitude to human heart,
he made forfeit that which was his; the intangible for the tangible,
the imperishable for the mortal."
By now I am intoxicated by the surreality of
the tale, viewing myself in the old man, and at last it dawns and I
realise the very nature of mankind, and of myself, and I lay down to
cry.
"In his youth, the Old man wielded the Garensword,
but not now. And yet, the legend holds that one day, Man shall wield
the two-edged blade once more to the conquest of nations and strongholds
and powers beyond this realm."
I raise my eyes as the song comes to an end and
a stranger approaches as though she's a friend. Extending her hand I
accept it and rise. Standing, she looks into my eyes. "De-nyl, we have
a long way to go. There is so much, too much, that I have to show you."
"If the truth is what you seek, it is only with
the Ancient whose face is never seen. He remains within the Hidden Lands
and may only be reached with the Garensword in hand. Let us depart from
this place."
I was relieved to learn that I would not be alone
in my quest. For that day, Destiny became my guide. I released my falcon,
the bird soaring high and free above the forest canopy. And yet there
remained within my heart the lingering memory of that tragic Fall; the
wretched nature of mankind and of myself. Am I who I think I am? Am
I even alive?
I AM NOT ALIVE
Music by A. Tompkins and J. De Ron
I am not alive, though they say I am.
Such is the grave inconsequence of man; liar that I am, I am not alive
at all, not alive at all, no. I am not alive.
Countless years have I spent in my quest, or
so it would seem, at the will of my mentor's request for truth, for
the meaning, for life. But what of this day? What of my own existence?
How can I pray to that which I cannot perceive?
Destiny would have that I blindly follow with
no thought of my own. But when I contemplate tomorrow my heart is turning
to stone. Why am I never satisfied? Why do I live with constant pain?
Is life just passing time till I die and thence never to rise again?
The sun is gone bringing the dark, the darkness
heralds in the night. I cannot sleep, my eyes are wide, it's the longest
night of my life. I've been denied, my life is gone, where is my breath,
I must have died. My hour is come, my tears are dry within my eyes,
life is denied. I'm cold, I'm dying, I'm cold, I am dying.
In my wretchedness, I recall the words my Teacher
spoke to me, "It won't suffice merely to exist my young friend. To be
alive is not to live, you must have life." Destiny, my companion, who
has joined me for many a day, enlightens my wandering mind thus, "The
fact that it is your utmost desire to behold both truth and life, whilst
you live in ongoing uncertainty and the everpresence of death, would
suggest that this state which you find yourself in is not of your own
demeanour; suggests that you once had contentment and life from whence
you've been enticed away. Such was the Fall, that great tragedy of man.
To behold both truth and life, reason alone cannot suffice. You will
not find it within yourself for there lies corruption and death. And
there's no use in searching outside yourself for that, I'm afraid, is
just nature. Reason alone cannot suffice. You must search in the great
beyond, involve the Hidden Lands in your reckoning. You must search
in the great beyond, acknowledge the Ancient in His beckoning. For this
you'll require faith, the substance of things unseen, for reason alone
will never suffice. For there are greater things behind the sky than
in the entirety of creation. There are greater things behind the sky
than in all that you survey."
The spirits cry, they want me now but I resist,
I will not die. I need the truth, such is my quest, I will not rest
until I find the light.
THE GRAVE, MY SOUL
Music by A. Tompkins and J. De Ron
In the distance, my falcon flies, circling
above a clearing in the forest. Suddenly, I hear its cries as it falls
to the ground to its death. Leaving Destiny, I rush in the direction of
its final cry. I enter the clearing and stop in sudden horror as I view
an unnatural spectacle of ancient fallen trees.
This is a fossilised forest, silent and calm,
with no sign of movement save for the stain of my form. The spell of
age has woven its evil intent upon this hallowed ground as beneath the
grey clouds the forest was rent. Moving slowly, in deliberation and
respect for the dead, I am revulsed by the scene played out before me.
How these giants have fallen. Their majesty, their power, and all that
they were are as dust to the soil and returned to the earth. I know
not why.
I plead with Destiny for an answer as she arrives
and she explains it thus; "It pays tribute to the accursed rains for
of all that was, little remains. These grey flowers you see are but
a poor reflection of what's left of humanity. They spoke the laws of
old yet chose to disoblige the Ancient, holding such decrees in contempt
by their works. The bane of mankind is that all that he is until the
day that he dies is a pawn that's expected to live by the lies of tradition.
The human condition, it seems, is to reduce all to tradition."
I wander amongst the fallen trunks as though
drawn, and find my fallen friend, my falcon forlorn. Lifeless, I hold
his body hoping in some way he's free. Whilst clutching him, I notice
something, now what can this be?
Embedded in chalcedony within an aged oak is
the semblance of an ancient warrior sword. To suggest that this had
aught to do with the legend was a dream but to ignore the possibility
I could not afford. I grabbed a nearby rock and began to smash away
the quartz as crystal shards, they flew and cut into my flesh. The golden
sword hilt exposed, I pulled with all my might as it was loosed at last
from its chalcedonic grave. And I held the sword aloft for all the land
to see and I was filled with power beyond my darkest dreams.
Destiny, with a smile, approaches saying, "The
Garensword holds the power to bequeath life as well as death" as I watch
my falcon take wing to wind and soar high above the forest once again.
Following the bird, leaving the clearing behind us, we enter into the
forest and instantly I am startled. The sword has affected my sight,
enabled me to see things which I have never noticed before. There are
thousands of graves amongst the trees; a cemetery for the living. Headstones
with no names, overrun with wild grey flowers.
GONE IS MY FORMER RESOLVE
Music by A. Tompkins and C. Burton
The dead who crave not life, I know not
why they lie there floating. They lie devoid of thought, bereft of life
and drown in sorrow.
Sometimes they scream as life is deprived of
them. Life is no dream and death holds no final end. We all must die.
Hacking away with the sword at the earth, at
the mounds of soil, I try to recover the dead but get naught for my
toil. The corpses lie around me in various states of decay and no matter
how hard I try I can't bring life to their day. Even by touch of the
sword they refuse to awaken. And I know they seek life not. And I know
they like to rot forever. Even their lives were of no worth if in their
eyes they hate the truth even if it sets them free. Now is not the time
to revive. My mind revolts at this revelation. How can it be that they
lie calmly in their graves, resisting life as it pulls at their heart
strings; their cold eyes ever rejecting the truth?
I run with naught in mind but to leave that hateful
place behind. I enter darkened earth where De-syr has waited for me
from the day of my birth. I cross the bridge of grace along a well worn
path to satiate my flesh within the one they call De-syr.
Sorrow, my contemplating. Loving hours passed,
I spent my life anticipating sorrow. Thy cold embracing felt like love
back then but now I know that I was tasting sorrow.
OF MY DARKEST HOUR
Music by A. Tompkins, C. Burton and J. Sherlock
Lassitude overwhelming me, my consideration
to relent once more strengthened with time. But the pervasiveness of the
promise, "Thou shalt not be enticed beyond thy strength to withstand,"
held firm and true in my heart; the foundation of truth, beaten and lashed
and covered over by the waves of uncertainty, yet still unmoved and untouched.
"Stay with me," implored De-syr.
These, the final moments of my darkest hour serve
to reinforce my confidence in power. I overcome temptation but the dragon
threatens "For thine is the hour but mine is the day."
I fought long to leave the dark side for life
is a moment and death the eternity.
Far from the sky my soul is calling. Far from
the sky my tear drops falling. Vilified faces everywhere are turning
their gazes from the air. They relinquish their hearts without a care
as they're turning their faces. Far from the sky; my thoughts are waning.
Far from the sky my life is draining. Ever the nightfall kills the sun
and the stars are seducing everyone. They clamber to heed the mindless
ones as ever the night falls far.
DARKNESS DIES
Music by J. De Ron
Distant voices begin to sing, "Now the
fire's burning, let the fire spread so those who think they live will
realise that they are dead. Over eons, over centuries, it has taken many
names for the Spirit of the Ancient is the fire within the flames. Let
mankind burn with the fire of the Spirit."
Following the golden path towards the burning
Tree I pause before I enter within the castle walls. As darkness dies
the light of truth is revealed.
I genuflect to worship at the throne of life.
"I have followed your quest with great interest"
said the King as I raise my eyes to meet his. "Many have stood where
you stand and many will stand there in latter days."
The Firetree, the tree that burns whilst it is
never consumed. The Firetree on which a man died to bring life to mankind.
Who was he, that man that died? Who was he? "That man was God."
I came before the throne seeking truth and life
but, as everything in my life begins to fall into place, I learn from
the King that in death there is life; to die to one's self is the truth
of salvation and eternal life.
The King addressed me once more saying "Once
you were yours but now you are mine. You have my permission to die.
Go now and die to yourself."
And with that, in obedience to the King, I stepped
into the pool of water, shedding my old garments and moving further
into the depths as the water engulfed me. That day, I entered into a
new life and, in the presence of the almighty King, was born again.
Credits
Produced by Andrew Tompkins with Paramaecium. Recorded
and mixed at Toybox Studios, Melbourne. Mastered by Don Bartley at Studios
301, Sydney.
All songs copyright © 1996 Paramaecium
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