Immortality Poem by Lonnie Hicks

Eterna, Grantor of Immortality, sat the Silver Throne her Judgment Stick
tapping One's and Two's-one for 'Yes' and Two for 'No' while assembled below the thrones' height were the petitioning hordes-those who came seeking Eternal Life and Immortality; the religionists, the fame-seekers, the parents, the writers, poets, and novelists, the politicians and the evil seekers.

There were all the animal species the vegetation and the microbials and those seeking to become immortal in the memory of those they loved and those that admired them.

'I' said the Politician 'pursued the War and won the Peace none more than I deserve Immortality, ' he exclaimed.

In a gnat-second the Judgment Stick pounded down twice for 'No' and he was gone.

The Parent Two quietly pursued their story line which was it was only through the love of their children would their memory remain and asked the Queen to imbue that in all the children and the grandchildren.

'We are humble people, ' they said 'and our lives have meaning only through the ones who love us when we are gone. Who will come each year to mind the flowers at our graves; who will tells the stories, and save the photographs? '

Eterna's eyes grew dim and gave them a quiet, single tap which resounded in the great hall and other parents there took heart.

'Who's next? ' she exclaimed.

Moving forward were a group of entertainers whose leader stated simply 'We want people to remember our names; we want fame.'

One said 'Yes, I came from no-where, from a small town, where people there had the view I would amount to nothing at all. But, if I become famous, it would put the lie to that assessment and I would become somebody, not a nobody.'

Eterna, surveyed the entertainers and saying:

'Some of you gave joy to the shut-ins and the masses and overcame obstacles from your own backgrounds and these are no mean deeds. Making the world a better place for some has to be weighed in the general mix of things. But all are not the same.'

'My judgment is: for some your fame is given but for only fifteen minutes. You there on the end, your's shall be more enduring but none for more than a generation.'

'Fame for fames sake shall not endure forever, especially when it is case that most in a generation will be gone and forgotten.

Beyond this I grant to you entertainers nothing.'

A gasp flew up from the group who had sought something more eternal.

But, Eterna would not relent saying, 'Let's move on, the line is long.'

On the right flank were the evil doers, those whose leader frankly stated:

'We all recognized early on that we would never be remembered for any good deeds so we chose instead to seek our infamy in evil deeds. Great villains, ' he said 'have populated history as much as saints and heroes.'

'The precedence is set.' he said, 'What say you Eterna?

Trembling, Eterna rose to her full height, six feet and more, setting aside her Judgment Stick and moved straight toward the Evil Doers, intoning:

'True your fame shall endure, despite my wish to deter it but each of you shall die an early death and horrible to set the contrast for the children. More, I shall this day decree a fiery fate for some of you forthwith.'

With that, her Judgment Stick rose transforming itself into a giant Serpent while Eterna gave it voice commands.

'For this one the hottest pyre, ' and the Serpent's tongue leapted forth and consumed the Hitler one whose agonized cries rang throughout the chamber.

'And you Eterna said, shall be condemned to come back again each year for all Eternity and we shall repeat this scene.'

One by one the Evil Ones seeking Immortality took the fire from the Serpents' tongue and Eterna's Judgment Stick, crackled again as it took its place by her side as she sat again, to view other petitioners.

Thrill-Seeking serial killers, bombers and terrorists all met similar fates as the room grew smoky with the smell of sulfur and remorse.

The writer, novelists and poets were next. Some certain their judgment would not repeat that they had just seen, and they would get a single tap for 'Yes' from Eterna's Judgment stick.

First the novelists, their book jackets and reviews in hand, and one by one stated 'I want my work to be read in a hundred years and my fame to rise way above my grave. We want to be known as artists, as betterers of humanity. Let us Eterna' they said' 'plead our case.'

Eterna grasped the Judgment Stick and and nodded silently as one of these stepped forth with script in hand.

'True some of you have bent the arc and made this earth a better place with the written word, brought to the fore injustices, championed freedoms made clear the virtues of love, kindness, God, and spirituality. None can gainsay these deeds and I tap you thus.'

With two gigantic taps some of the writers expressed great relief and thanked Eterna for her graciousness.

But the remaining ones looked up asking their fate.

Eterna turned and spoke: 'Some of you are in between and while having done no great good have also done no great harm either. To you I grant two taps as well. These celebrated and joined the first group in leaving the room.

A remaining set of the writer's group, seemed to shrink under Eterna's gaze and shrank even more as she began to speak.

She said 'You remaning ones have no such positive virtues. Your writings reek of hate and purvey smut to the young and old alike. You, I find, undeserving. a double tap, and moreover, you'll join the evil group for the same regimen to repeat and appear here once a year. But mercy here beckons and I spare you this time the flames. This will convene in your case next time.

Eterna sat her throne once more and looked around. 'We will pause today and all will return tomorrow. We then examine more of you writers in detail.'

To be continued: