The Domain

Outside‌ ‌the‌ ‌domain,‌ ‌we‌ ‌died‌ ‌marching‌ -- ‌ ‌ reluctant‌ ‌return ‌to‌ ‌a tyrant's regime. ‌ Tempted‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌inhuman,‌ ‌we‌ ‌departed‌ ‌blind, still shaken by‌ ‌the ‌enormity‌ ‌of‌ ‌our loss. ‌ Body‌ ‌and‌ ‌soul‌ ‌meld into one, trapped in‌ ‌glistening

webs‌ of‌ ‌symbiosis.‌ Yet‌ ‌body‌ also ‌rises as ‌world. ‌ The‌ ‌Age‌ of‌ ‌Great‌ Navigators‌ has‌ ‌begun.‌ ‌Sails‌ ‌snap,‌ ‌ monoculars‌ lunge,‌ ‌sailors‌ ‌tumble‌ ‌out‌ ‌of‌ ‌crow’s‌ ‌nests,‌ ‌ ‌ cling‌ing to‌ ‌rigging‌ ‌in midair.‌ ‌For‌ ‌the‌ ‌captain,‌ ‌ ‌ creativity‌ ‌and‌ ‌discovery‌ taste the same.‌ ‌Land‌ ‌ pops up ‌‌ex‌ ‌nihilo‌.‌ ‌ A‌ ‌secret‌ ‌dimension‌ ‌decrees‌ ‌ our ‌course.‌ ‌To‌ ‌follow ‌it with‌ ‌abandon‌ ‌means‌ ‌ ‌ risking freedoms.‌ ‌But shuttered‌ ‌in‌ ‌darkness,‌ ‌ we‌ ‌decide again without ‌shame.‌ ‌River‌ ‌rock‌s ‌

mark our path homeward. I‌ ‌kick‌ ‌them‌ ‌behind‌ me,‌ ‌

peering‌ through shadow‌s ‌of‌ ‌the perishing domain‌.

.