The Null Testament

Without you,
I'm a shepherd without a flock.
Leading no one on the road to no place.
Wandering aimlessly, no parents, no home.
I will deliver no people from their suffering,
felling no giants, wearing no crown.
Our child will not build the Temple,
without you.

Without you,
I'm a prophet without the Word of God.
No message to spread, yet they come for me,
pleading, always pleading.
I wail and ask them to deliver from me this burden,
but no deity will come whaling
to show me the error of my ways.
No truth to share, no succor to give,
no relief received, no mercy or reprieve.
Without you.

Without you,
I'm a warrior shorn,
no protector for our people.
No lion slain, no foxes outwitted, no hive found.
The dust settles around me,
my enemies still stand.
I'm weak and powerless,
and voiceless,
without you.

Without you,
there will be no last will and Testament.
No Covenant for them to follow.
Without you,
all is chaos and darkness over the pit.
Without you,
nothing is true, and nothing is permitted.
Without you.

This piece was written for @mamadini, without whom... well, I just wrote a piece about it.

Thanks to all the Isle of Write members who gave me feedback and encouragement on this piece, and all the others. Especially @whosim, @carmalain7, and @authorofthings, for this piece.

Check out my latest posts:

A Tired Old Cliche - Micro-fiction.
Mahouka Koukou / Irregular at Magic High School: An Ode to Meritocracy!
Poetry (A Poem)

art and flair courtesy of @PegasusPhysics

_{^{The image used in this post is The Death of Samson, by Gustave Doré, 1866, and is public domain.}}