Led Zeppelin's Houses of Holy Continued

Click here if you want to know how I got to the Inauguration and for An Open Letter to President Obama.


Background behind this chapter. Another famous scene is Michael the Archangel banishing Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden after they had eaten of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge (FottoK or FTK for short).

Michael, being God's right hand man, is a little tired of always doing the right thing. He's wondering what it's like to be Adam and Eve and do wrong once in a while...and give in to temptation. 

The line in Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy about Satan's daughter and a sword of gold in hand with an angel hovering by made me think of Michael, who is always pictorized as having a blazing sword in hand. Especially when he is sent by God to banish Adam and Eve East of Eden. 

In this story, Michael is almost wistful to go with them. But he cannot, and must return to the Houses of the Holy.

Part II: Casting out of the Garden of Eden, Wishing he could go too

(should be read to Led Zeppelin’s song “Houses of the Holy”)

Uh, oh.  Here’s Mike to rip asunder.

                   Eden’s ending with his coming.

In the distance, hear the thunder

            and a complacent kind of humming.

He steps lightly, feathers taut

                senses alert like a wide-eyed bug

going into an invisible knot

          sees nothing--continues with a shrug.

There they wait with bags that match

   ‘tween the two trees that let them know:

There are things beyond their green patch

              that their paradise would not show.

                                         You know.

He looks clinically at the two that stand

                 but one a bit more than the other

then peers at the lines of the man

                 places his hand upon his brother

                                  You know.

The man’s look comes from seeing things

                          that he wasn’t meant to see.

Alas, now does those things that bring

                       blights of that accursed tree.

                                            Oh – oh.

Cause it’s easier to blame the fruit

                        or even the serpent’s tongue

frankly all of it is moot

                      the promises his woman sung

                                            Oh – oh-oh. . .

At last, grudging Mike must glance

                at the female looking beyond.

It seems she prefers her chance

                    and looks forward to the dawn.

              

Behind them Mike’s toy licks up hail

                    it’s really just for showing off.

He really likes to wow the females

                        with his aching sword aloft.

                                             You know.

At the edge, Mike rests his arm

                       and stands just to the inside.

She turns and he sees with alarm

                      the gleaming eyes of a bride

                                 Oh-oh, Satan and Man.

Mike didn’t know but he would face

                         those gleaming eyes again.

Inscrutable in time or place

                     When he’d be ready to begin.

But for now Mike returns alone

                        to quiet houses of the holy.

Where only the mighty like he are prone

             to stare out longingly at the lowly.

                                     

                                          Oh – oh – oh.

The lowly were a-walking

       Dragging feet and stepping toes, then

One says a prayer and hand crossing

                       the other just says an amen.

                                 Oh-oh, Man and Satan.

Friend me on Facebook!

~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~**~

MY OTHER WRITINGS

What I Said When I Saw Salvador Dali’s Metamorphosis of Narcissus at the Tate Modern

Metamorphosis of Narcissus by Salvador Dali 

My Inaugural Poem for President Obama on Amazon

Princess Boo Wakes Up on the Wrong Side of the Bed