Poem: "Of Greater Value"
Mar. 14th, 2025 05:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithBased on an audience poll, this is the freebie for the March 4, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl reaching its $200 goal. It came out of the February 4, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from alchemicink and also fills the "Our Special Place" square in my 2-1-25 card for the Valentines Bingofest. This poem belongs to the series Daughters of the Apocalypse.
"Of Greater Value'
[Longer Days Moon 1, 16 A.E.]
As the weather began to warm,
and people who had hunkered down
for the winter started traveling again,
more visitors came to Lazarus Lake
and the commune on its shore.
Sir Jacqueline of Lazarus belonged
to the Knights Hospitaller, protecting
the House of St. John in the commune.
She spent much of her time patrolling
the roads and the bush around them,
warning off the rare marauders and
helping honest travelers find their way.
In particular, Sir Jacqueline paid attention
to the males. Most adult men had died of
the Grunge during the End, and even
afterwards, not many male infants
were born or managed to survive.
So in order to sustain what little
remained of the human population,
people had to learn how to share.
Sir Jacqueline invited some of
the most promising men to visit
their commune, in hopes that
some would stick around or
at least help out the women
who wanted to have children.
Her friend Mikil Smith also
helped to assess those men
once they reached the commune.
Because of parental exposure to
the Grunge, Mikil was born without
hands and only partial arms. She made
clothes for the Knights Hospitaller and
other people living in the commune.
That appearance brought out
the best in some people and
the worst in others, which made
her ideal for assessing people
as possible members or mates.
So many people now had scars
from surviving the End, or signs left
from their parents going through it.
They couldn't afford to keep anyone
who made life harder because of it.
"Aight, that's the last of 'em,"
Mikil muttered as she crossed off
the third of the three men who had
come in with a caravan of over
thirty people. "Even now, you
wouldn't think it'd be so hard
to find just a few good men."
"Though in the order of nature
angels rank above men, yet, by
scale of justice, good men are of
greater value than bad angels,"
Sir Jacqueline observed.
"The muckamuck will be
disappointed," said Mikil.
"Several women want to try
for a baby this year, but none
of 'em have a husband."
"Well, they deserve better
than those sketcheys,"
said Sir Jacqueline. "It's
worth waiting for a crumey
to come through some time."
Mikil nodded. "I admire
your faith, though."
"God will provide,"
said Sir Jacqueline,
"even treasures like
men of greater value."
* * *
Notes:
"Though in the order of nature angels rank above men, yet, by scale of justice, good men are of greater value than bad angels."
– Saint Augustine
Cadia
March -- Longer Days Moon (Wishram)
(After name Lazarus Lake)
Moses Lake has a dry climate, and is classed as a semi-arid climate. It is warm during summer, when temperatures tend to be in the 80s (°F) and somewhat cold during winter, when temperatures tend to be in the 30s (°F). The warmest month is July, with an average maximum temperature of 88.20 °F (31.22 °C). The coldest month is January, with an average minimum temperature of 21.70 °F (−5.72 °C).
Temperature variations between night and day are greater during summer (27 °F (15 °C)), and less during winter (14 °F (7.8 °C)).
The annual average precipitation at Moses Lake is 7.69 inches (195 mm). Although rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, it is not unusual in mid-summer for a month or six weeks to pass without any measurable rainfall.[17] The wettest month is December with an average rainfall of 1.19 inches (30 mm).
Bush -- wilderness, typically forest and/or mountains, but can refer to any area far from the few remaining settlements.
Aight -- alright.
Muckamuck -- a person important for their resources and generosity. This isn't necessarily the leader or elder -- it can be a supply manager, crafter, or hunter -- but they always get complete respect. Also the muckamuck in a group usually gets the deciding vote on whether to accept a new member, based on their belief about the newcomer's ability to give more than they take.
Sketchey -- a person of questionable intent, such as a spy or a con artist. From the earlier adjective "sketchy," meaning dubious or dishonest.
Crumey -- a strong, experienced worker capable of rural or wilderness tasks such as cutting wood, planting trees, or digging ditches. From "crummie," Before slang for a rural work truck; the After version for an off-road truck is "crum."
alchemicink and also fills the "Our Special Place" square in my 2-1-25 card for the Valentines Bingofest. This poem belongs to the series Daughters of the Apocalypse."Of Greater Value'
[Longer Days Moon 1, 16 A.E.]
As the weather began to warm,
and people who had hunkered down
for the winter started traveling again,
more visitors came to Lazarus Lake
and the commune on its shore.
Sir Jacqueline of Lazarus belonged
to the Knights Hospitaller, protecting
the House of St. John in the commune.
She spent much of her time patrolling
the roads and the bush around them,
warning off the rare marauders and
helping honest travelers find their way.
In particular, Sir Jacqueline paid attention
to the males. Most adult men had died of
the Grunge during the End, and even
afterwards, not many male infants
were born or managed to survive.
So in order to sustain what little
remained of the human population,
people had to learn how to share.
Sir Jacqueline invited some of
the most promising men to visit
their commune, in hopes that
some would stick around or
at least help out the women
who wanted to have children.
Her friend Mikil Smith also
helped to assess those men
once they reached the commune.
Because of parental exposure to
the Grunge, Mikil was born without
hands and only partial arms. She made
clothes for the Knights Hospitaller and
other people living in the commune.
That appearance brought out
the best in some people and
the worst in others, which made
her ideal for assessing people
as possible members or mates.
So many people now had scars
from surviving the End, or signs left
from their parents going through it.
They couldn't afford to keep anyone
who made life harder because of it.
"Aight, that's the last of 'em,"
Mikil muttered as she crossed off
the third of the three men who had
come in with a caravan of over
thirty people. "Even now, you
wouldn't think it'd be so hard
to find just a few good men."
"Though in the order of nature
angels rank above men, yet, by
scale of justice, good men are of
greater value than bad angels,"
Sir Jacqueline observed.
"The muckamuck will be
disappointed," said Mikil.
"Several women want to try
for a baby this year, but none
of 'em have a husband."
"Well, they deserve better
than those sketcheys,"
said Sir Jacqueline. "It's
worth waiting for a crumey
to come through some time."
Mikil nodded. "I admire
your faith, though."
"God will provide,"
said Sir Jacqueline,
"even treasures like
men of greater value."
* * *
Notes:
"Though in the order of nature angels rank above men, yet, by scale of justice, good men are of greater value than bad angels."
– Saint Augustine
Cadia
March -- Longer Days Moon (Wishram)
(After name Lazarus Lake)
Moses Lake has a dry climate, and is classed as a semi-arid climate. It is warm during summer, when temperatures tend to be in the 80s (°F) and somewhat cold during winter, when temperatures tend to be in the 30s (°F). The warmest month is July, with an average maximum temperature of 88.20 °F (31.22 °C). The coldest month is January, with an average minimum temperature of 21.70 °F (−5.72 °C).
Temperature variations between night and day are greater during summer (27 °F (15 °C)), and less during winter (14 °F (7.8 °C)).
The annual average precipitation at Moses Lake is 7.69 inches (195 mm). Although rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, it is not unusual in mid-summer for a month or six weeks to pass without any measurable rainfall.[17] The wettest month is December with an average rainfall of 1.19 inches (30 mm).
Bush -- wilderness, typically forest and/or mountains, but can refer to any area far from the few remaining settlements.
Aight -- alright.
Muckamuck -- a person important for their resources and generosity. This isn't necessarily the leader or elder -- it can be a supply manager, crafter, or hunter -- but they always get complete respect. Also the muckamuck in a group usually gets the deciding vote on whether to accept a new member, based on their belief about the newcomer's ability to give more than they take.
Sketchey -- a person of questionable intent, such as a spy or a con artist. From the earlier adjective "sketchy," meaning dubious or dishonest.
Crumey -- a strong, experienced worker capable of rural or wilderness tasks such as cutting wood, planting trees, or digging ditches. From "crummie," Before slang for a rural work truck; the After version for an off-road truck is "crum."
