Dire Paradoxes: Part I Poem by Timber Koleden

Remus awoke; his fur was soaked in dew.
The air was crisp, and the day dawned new.
In the breeze, his white fur was wrinkled,
And in the morning sun, his gray eyes twinkled.
He lifted his head and looked to his side;
There he saw Romulus's his own white hide.
Their eyes met, and dimly smiled did his brother he.
Remus smiled faintly in return just to see,
That he was still with him, keeping him company,
Uncaptured nor taken by those humans who kept them in captivity.
Born were the three, for once a white sister once they had,
She was frolicking and kind and always glad.
But in cages the had taken her away,
And with them she no longer was let stay.
It was cruel and unfair, they both agreed,
The evil men had stolen them in their greed.
Behind tall fences were they kept since they were born;
Poked and prodded since their first morn.
It was not that they thought it was wrong; they knew it wasn't right.
And that they were all alone in their enclosure made them quite affright.
They never saw any other creature but birds in the overhead skies,
Who passed them strange looks and gave bewildered cries.
There was truly only one creature that they had ever known
Besides the humans; there was a snowy owl who over the fences had flown.
That day was in the winter, and Romulus saw him sitting, his feathers to preen.
He stocked him to eat him, the first living meat he'd ever seen,
But the owl stopped him with a quiet greeting.
And from thenceforth they were friends since first meeting.
Since then, every morning he came, and with them did talk,
In the first morning hours, so the people wouldn't see them and balk.
He was named Albus he said, a wise and old bird,
And he taught them of far lands, and they listen to each word.
They were eager to learn, and he was eager to teach
And their imagination spread farther than the fences reach.
He told them of Adam and Eve and of the Garden too,
And of sin and death, and the wars of men who
Had lived in distant memories told only now as tales.
Of Greeks and Romans and sailors, and whales,
Alexander and Anthony, Brutus and Arthur and giants
And of Hitler and Stalin, and other tyrants.
Sometimes Remus found it questionable and doubtful
but the stories were thrilling and so very powerful.
Romulus and Remus and Khaleesi, their sister, Albus said.
Were the last of their kind, first after 10,000 years dead.
He said that they were so rare that the humans of those days
Had rebirthed them and kept them now only for science and displays.
The three wolves had wondered what to really think of it.
Should they be angry or confused or simply ignore it?
The humans were kind enough, the ten of them at work,
They had fed them and housed them in comfort.
They lacked not food, nor care since their birth,
But still, they wondered if there was more to living on this Earth.
And when Khaleesi was taken, they were hurt by the deed,
And pondered if truly, they were only held for the sake of greed.
Even that very morning, the questions were in their minds.
And both had the very same urge, a thought of a kind.
‘Remus, ' said Romulus, his voice barely aloud,
‘Art thou awake and eager? Abus is ready sure by now.'
‘I am ready and wakened. Let us go, and from him learn,
Said Remus, ‘let us go and meet him ‘neath the yonder fern.
They both swift arose to their four paws,
And shook and licked the dew from their fur and jaws.
Then they started off to the right at a trot,
Over the grass and passed the pile of logs a-rot.
‘How didst thou slumber last night? ' Remus asked his brother.
Romulus said, ‘As fine a night as any other.'
They spoke of little anything, both eager
To see Albus and talk a while since their time was meager.
Through a cluster of pines they sped
to a shadowy fern, and under it, a leafy bed.
There sat elegant and old Albus awaiting.
His eyes were yellow, and his wings were white and black inter-fading.
‘Greetings Albus, our wise friend.' said Romulus first.
‘Come, ' said Remus, ‘tell us a story, quench our thirst.'
They came before him, stopped, and both lay down.
His face they watched; it always turned in a perceiving frown.
In his deep voice, he greeted their plea,
‘Good morning, pups, indeed, I have a special tail for thee.
I always meant for Khaleesi to hear it, thou all three,
I was going to tell it on thy birthdays, but now that she
Is gone it might be even more fitting to hear.'
Their faces gravened, and they each perked up an ear.
‘This tail is one that is very old and bears importance.
I will tell it to thee, its meaning, and its portents.
Now I have told thee of Cesar and Cicero and Roman might,
But never have thee heard of their beginning, not quite.
Their line sprung from two boys left to die
In the wilderness so alone that they could only cry.
But a great she-wolf discovered them, and nurtured them,
They were hungry and with her milk she fed them.
From their names art thy names derived,
Thou art named after the twins, who dared to survive.
Those two twins grew up to be warriors of great fame,
And now every educated human, and learned creature knows their names.
Rome they built with their crushing hands,
And by their savagery, they conquered countless lands.
Thou art each named after those ancient lords,
And of Khaleesi, her name comes from another tale for which I know not the words.'
Both Romulus and Remus smiled briefly,
It was an unexpected honor that they took not lightly,
But both wondered why this tale and why now?
What meaning had it? Did it help them, and if so, how?
‘What doth this mean for us, Albus? '
Said Remus, ' the tale is grand, but why now tell us? '
‘Thou see, dost thou not? ' said Albus speedily,
He paused a moment to conjure this wisely.
‘This applies now more than ever.
Thou art both alone together.
So were thy namesakes thousands of years ago,
But from them an empire yet did grow.
Hear my words, pups, listen very carefully,
Treasure up my words, so that they stick in thy memory.
Those twins were born with a purpose, as with all things alive,
Surely they were afraid but persevering to find it they did strive.
In such a way, thou have not been born without a destiny,
Thou art not an accident: thou have a fate for thee.
Seek thy fate and display thy quality while thee live.
Now have thee questions to me them now give.
Verily, these words stirred emotions and desires
In their hearts; it called them to a greater fate aspire.
How deeply it moved them to think of themselves living a tale,
Like the great creatures in Albus's stories who dared to fail,
But triumphed despite all odds and enemies.
Who were brave and gracious in the face of tragedy.
But they, of all creatures, were born alone, strange, and untimely,
In captors hands, behind fences, and escape was beyond unlikely.
‘How are we to find our purpose and our fate? '
Asked Romulus, ' I mean not to with thee debate.
But we are trapped and alone and I foresee no possible escape.'
‘Romulus, ' said Albus, ‘thou must be patient. Thou must wait.'
Said Remus to the owl then, ‘How long? And what for, dear friend? '
‘Wait a while, ‘said the owl, Thou shalt find thy purpose in the end.'
Suddenly, jarring the three of them all,
Came loud and long, breaking through the fresh air, a loud call.
It was the humans who fed them beyond the trees' stand.
And the wolves knew they must shortly heed the commands.
Their heads turned, attentive and alert,
And they heard feet pounding on the yonder dirt.
‘Pups! ' said Albus tensely: they looked back into his eyes.
‘I must tell thee a final thing, ere away I fly! '
Romulus said with bated breath, ‘Speak it! '
And Remus encouraged, ‘Teach it! '
The owl blinked frustratingly slow
Then said, ‘It goes like this, and so:
Even if thou must seek for a thousand years, or until thou die
Thou must continue to persevere to dare to try,
To find thy purpose set before thee since thy birth,
To make thy life not only living, but the proving of thy worth.
Every conqueror on this earth since the beginning
Have not succeeded by only always winning.
Steadfast perseverance must be the driving factor,
For without such they are all one-time heroes, hypocrites and actors.
Thy time shall come one day!
Let thee hopeful and patient forever stay! '
Then in a leap Albus beat his wings and flew
Into the skies to melt into the overhead of white and blue.
They watched the sage depart in stunned stillness.
Remus reverently said, ‘Let us remember this.'
Romulus agreed as they stood to their paws,
‘Let us never forget such grave things of awe! '
And that was the last they saw of Albus for a long time.
But they were patient, and they waited on his every line
Of poetic wisdom he had declared,
Not knowing for what they were being prepared.