Human
Nature?
Since
the early sunrise he had been fighting amongst and against them. He
was making progress. Slowly but steadily.
It
was meant to be the day of his life. The last day. No matter the
outcome, his journey would come to an end here. Everything would be
over. For him anyway.
But
it was for his children that he was fighting, for his family, for his
dynasty. And for love of course. The ultimate love. She was up there.
Ever present.
All
of them could hear her, feel her. Calling them. Making them push
onward, striving towards her.
He
didn't actually fight any of the others. And neither did they. It was
more like a race, run recklessly but without contempt. He was
searching his way, fighting when he was blocked but simply struggling
on as soon as it was free.
He
was getting higher, perceiving her voice the more and more distinct,
feeling her presence the more and more intense. He felt himself
vibrating, rushing on. Far beneath, on the lower levels, he could see
the masses. Those who were lost in the innumerable dead ends, those
trailing hopelessly behind and all those lying around not moving
anymore, exhausted, extinguished. Their journey, their quest was
over. Their life. Everything.
He
turned around another corner. He was very close now. Her presence was
all around. Filling him with great joy and seemingly unlimited
energy. He felt like flying towards her. Everything was clear to him
now. He knew that he was the chosen one. He climbed the last step and
there she was. The queen. His queen.
He
stood still. Mesmerized. She was perfect. The incarnation of beauty.
She
had been waiting for him. She neither stopped singing nor did she
move when her large eyes caught sight of him. But the tone of her
voice altered in a way that he knew that she was only singing for him
now. And all the others knew it, too. For them it was over. Lost.
Dead. Not immediately but the more painful the longer it lasted.
She
was welcoming him. Inviting him. He moved slowly. The race was
forgotten and the last part of the quest began. He had to be wise,
had to prove worthy. If his heart was pure, she would recognize it
through his humility. The slightest trace of pride would cause
failure.
But
he worshiped her greatness, her divinity. He was grateful and humble,
moving closer carefully. When he was in reach to touch her, the
chanting came to an end. For a moment, they just observed each other.
They recognized each other. And themselves. Everything was there,
they found themselves at the source of the Universe. They understood
and they agreed.
Ever
so delicately, they started to dance. Without any sound. Feeling and
following the Divine rhythm.
The
first touch was like the discovery of a whole new world. They
suddenly realized that they had not been whole before. Here was their
missing part. The other side of the mirror. Completion. Perfection.
They
let themselves flow, all aware of their own body and movements and
becoming the more and more aware of the other one's.
They
became closer and closer, letting it happen in a since unknown
passive and active way at the same time. They followed the Universal
rules. Because it was them.
They
slowed down when they were ready to unite. Time stretched. The moment
was saturated, concentrated. While focusing ever more closely, the
big picture became ever more clear. No more question. Only
revelation.
But
yet again, his quest had not come to an end. When he entered her on
the physical level, his spirit needed to stay pure, needed to stay
here, needed to stay with her. No faltering. No doubt. No fear.
Confidence. Trust. Faith.
He
gave himself. Surrendered his self. His boundaries disappeared. He
disintegrated into Her. Back into Earth. Into Heaven.
She
welcomed him and, delivering him full of mercy and grace, she cut off
his head.
For
her, the quest just begun. She would bring up their fruit of love,
keep the circle of life going. Alone. She needed to be strong. She
was a queen but life was hazardous. To strengthen herself, to make
his breed grow inside of her, it was only appropriate to integrate
his physical remains. Consequently, his former material would be part
of, would continue to live through his children. And eventually his
grand children. And many more generations to come, in the never
ending cycle of nature.
But
a girl had been watching the mating of the mantis
religiosa and, struck by the horror and
disgust that she perceived in her heart, she squashed the queen with
a stone.
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Annexe:
The
female of the mantis religiosa (praying mantis) and other mantidae,
relatively often eats the male after or even during the long lasting
copulation (around one out of four times). Science proposes different
reasons for this behavior:
-
The male is an additional source of protein. The eggs of females who
have eaten their partners, can be bigger and more numerous.
-
After the decapitation, the mating movement of the male can become
even more vigorous in its delivery of sperm since the responsible
nervous system is not in the head but in the abdomen. The efficiency
of the copulation can thus be increased.
Sources:
Albouy,
Vincent (2015). Histoires remarquables –
les insectes. Paris: Delachaux et
Niestlé.
Dettner,
Konrad (2003). Lehrbuch der Entomologie.
München: Spektrum.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis
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