The Crystal Goddess

author’s note:

Another flawed vessel.


THE CRYSTAL GODDESS

I wanted to create a crystal goddess.
I would

transform a glob of molten glass
into a vessel so glorious
a mere glance would cast a spell
over the innocent pilgrim
and awaken deep aspirational desires
in their psyche.

Then maybe they would again sense
the divine flame
held within their meat and bones.

But my labor
though intense and loving
produced instead
the abomination of a blob body
with a knob for a head
and little round pegs
for breasts and legs.

Those tiny air bubbles
permanently trapped
in the bloated belly
reminded me of gas.

No goddess would have gas!

But though embarrassed
I could not discard my failure
because it had been born
from a wish to give more.

So I put the inflated figurine
on my backroom windowsill
for only me to see.

Then forgot about it
until the power outage in December.

As I sat in the dark
I thought I heard a mousetrap snap shut
so I fumbled my way to the back
by the light of a Christmas candle.

Then stopped still—

what I saw was so real
it seemed unreal:

the black oil of midnight
had filled the vessel of the crystal woman
and there, within her bosom
the reflection of my candle flame shone—
a suspended drop of liquid gold.

Enchanted I was—entranced

until the overhead bulb
abruptly brightened the room
a few minutes later

or maybe I’d stood there an hour.

Now, whenever my night becomes dim
I visit the goddess by candlelight
to remind myself of the divine flame
held within the crystal glass
of our meat and bones.

mythsteps · crystal goddess

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