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by Vasko Popa

At the Beginning

That’s so much better
We’ve saved ourselves from the flesh

Now we’ll do what we’ll do
Say something

Would you like to be
The backbone of lightning

Say a bit more

What can I say
Hipbone of a storm

Say something else

That’s all I know
Ribs of heaven

We’re nobody’s bones
Say something else

After the Beginning

What shall we do now

That’s a good one
Now we’ll have marrow for supper

We had marrow for lunch
A hollow feeling nags my innards

Then let’s make music
We like music

What do we do when the dogs come
They like bones

We’ll stick in their throats
And love it

In the Sun

It’s nice to sunbathe naked
I never cared much for the flesh

Those rags never fooled me either
I go crazy about you naked

Don’t let the sun caress you
Let’s just love each other

Only please here not in the sun
Everything can be seen here dear bone

Under the Ground

Muscle of darkness muscle of flesh
It’s all the same thing

Well what now

We’ll call to bones of all ages
We’ll climb to the sun

What then

Then we’ll grow pure
Keep on growing just as we please

What about after

Nothing we’ll go everywhere
We’ll be eternal bone-beings

Just wait for the earth to yawn

In the Moonlight

What’s going on
It’s as if flesh snowlike flesh
Were sticking to me

I don’t know what it is
It’s as if marrow flows through me
Some bone-chilling marrow

I don’t know either
It’s as if all is starting again
With a terrifying beginning

Do you know what
Can you bark

Before the End

Where do we go now

Where could nowhere
Two bones go otherwise

What’s there to do

There for a long time
No one and his wife nothing
Have yearned for us to come

What do they need us for

They are old and have no bones
We’ll be their loving daughters

At the End

I’m a bone you’re a bone
Why did you swallow me
I can’t see myself anymore

What’s wrong with you
It’s you who’ve swallowed me
I can’t see myself either

Where am I now

Now no one knows any more
Who is who or where
It’s all an ugly dream of dust

Can you hear me

I can hear both you and myself
A hellebore is crowing out of us

A vortex opened up in the tree, and Garuda flew out with the broken branch in his beak, the elephant and the turtle still in his claws. He didn’t know where to go. He sensed that he was in danger of making a fatal mistake. From the branch came a hiss. At first he thought it was the wind. But the hissing went on, peremptory and fearfully shrill. He looked at the twigs. Upside down among the leaves, like bats, dangled scores of brahmans, each no taller than the phalanx of a thumb. Their bodies were perfectly formed and almost transparent, like flies’ wings. 

from Ka: Stories of the Mind and Gods of India, by Roberto Calasso

When I was a little child and dwelt in the kingdom of my Father’s house and delighted in the wealth and splendor of those who raised me, my parents sent me forth from the East, our homeland, with provisions for the journey. From the riches of our treasure-house they tied me a burden: great it was, yet light, so that I might carry it alone. . . . They took off from me the robe of glory which in their love they had made for me, and my purple mantle that was woven to conform exactly to my figure, and made a covenant with me, and wrote it in my heart that I might not forget it: “When thou goest down into Egypt and bringest the One Pearl which lies in the middle of the sea which is encircled by the snorting serpent, thou shalt put on again thy robe of glory and thy mantle over it and with thy brother our next in rank be heir in our kingdom.” 

I left the East and took my way downwards, accompanied by two royal envoys, since the way was dangerous and hard and I was young for such a journey; I passed over the borders of Maishan, the gathering-place of the merchants of the East, and came into the land of Babel and entered within the walls of Sarbug. I went down into Egypt, and my companions departed from me. I went straightway to the serpent and settled down close by his inn until he should slumber and sleep so that I might take the Pearl from him. Since I was one and kept to myself, I was a stranger to my fellow-dwellers in the inn. Yet saw I there one of my race, a fair and well-favored youth, the son of kings. He came and attached himself to me, and I made him my trusted familiar to whom I imparted my mission. He warned me against the Egyptians and the contact with the unclean ones. Yet I clothed myself in their garments, lest they suspect me as one coming from without to take the Pearl and arouse the serpent against me. But through some cause they marked that I was not their countryman, and they ingratiated themselves to me, and mixed me drink with their cunning, and gave me to taste of their meat; and I forgot that I was a king’s son and served their king. I forgot the Pearl for which my parents had sent me. Through the heaviness of their nourishment I sank into deep slumber.

All this that befell me, my parents marked, and they were grieved for me. It was proclaimed in our kingdom that all should come to our gates. And the kings and gandees of Parthia and all the nobles of the East wove a plan that I must not be left in Egypt. And they wrote a letter to me, and each of the great ones signed it with his name.

From thy father the King of Kings, and from thy mother, mistress of the East, and from thy brother, our next in rank, unto thee, our son in Egypt, greeting. Awake and rise up out of thy sleep, and perceive the words of our letter. Remember that thou art a king’s son: behold whom thou hast served in bondage. Be mindful of the Pearl, for whose sake thou hast departed into Egypt. Remember thy robe of glory, recall thy splendid mantle, that thou mayest put them back on and deck thyself with them and thy name be read in the book of heroes and thou become with thy brother, our deputy, heir in our kingdom.

Like a messenger was the letter that the King had sealed with his right hand against the evil ones, the children of Babel and the rebellious demons of Sarbug. It rose up in the form of an eagle, the king of all winged fowl, and flew until it alighted beside me and became wholly speech. At its voice and sound I awoke and arose from my sleep, took it up, kissed it, broke its seal, and read. Just as was written on my heart were the words of my letter to read. I remembered that I was a son of kings, and that my freeborn soul desired its own kind. I remembered the Pearl for which I had been sent down to Egypt, and I began to enchant the terrible and snoring serpent. I charmed it to sleep by naming over it my Father’s name, the name of our next in rank, and that of my mother, queen of the East. I seized the Pearl, and turned to repair home to my Father. Their filthy and impure garment I put off, and left it behind in their land, and directed my way that I might come to the light of our homeland, the East.

My letter which had awakened me I found before me on my way; and as it had awakened me with its voice, so it guided me with its light that shone before me, and with its voice encouraged my fear, and with its love drew me on. I went forth…. My robe of glory which I had put off and my mantle which went over it, my parents sent to meet me by their treasurers who were entrusted therewith. Its splendor I had forgotten, having left it as a child in my Father’s house. As I now beheld the robe, it seemed to me suddenly to become a mirror-image of myself: myself entire I saw in it, and it entire I saw in myself, that we were two in separateness, and yet again one in the sameness of our forms…. And the image of the King of kings was depicted all over it…. I also saw quiver over it the movements of the gnosis. I saw that it was about to speak, and perceived the sound of its songs which murmured on its way down: “I am that acted in the acts of him for whom I was brought up in my Father’s house, and I perceived in myself how my stature grew in accordance with his labors.” And with its regal movements it pours itself wholly out to me, and from the hands of its bringers hastens that I may take it; and me too my love urged on to run and receive it. And I stretched out towards it and took it and decked myself with the beauty of its colors. And I cast the royal mantle about my entire self. Clothed therein, I ascended to the gate of salutation and adoration. I bowed my head and adored the splendor of my Father who had sent it to me, whose commands I had fulfilled as he too had done what he promised…. He received me joyfully, and I was with him in his kingdom, and all his servants praised him with organ voice, that he had promised that I should journey to the court of the King of kings, and having brought my Pearl should appear together with him.

attributed to the Apostle Thomas; in Hans Jonas, The Gnostic Religion