Somber Illumination

I walked throughout most of the museum, very much in a state of awe and cautious inspiration. Each artifact was both intriguing and humbling in its reality before my eyes.

Many corridors held the paintings of mortals with whom my mind could never be compared to, yet alone grasp their full brush stroked intent; genius has a language all to itself, but chooses silence over words.

One artifact caught my eye. Tucked away, almost in a darkened corner by itself, was something completely unremarkable, yet entirely inescapable. I felt compelled to find out what it was.

Upon closer inspection I could see it was merely a piece of wood, although not a wood common to anywhere I had seen before. Many hands had definitely passed upon the surface of this wood, as it held both a rough and worn, yet polished look to it. I could see beyond the roped off area enough, but I had an uncontrollable urge to touch this relic. I still do not know the full reasoning behind it, however my actions became unusual for myself.

I stepped over the velvet ropes and walked up to the glass case, oddly it seemed nobody had noticed this. The latch around the back of the display was not locked, still another curiosity. I slowly reached my quivering hand within the cabinet that held my temptation and placed it gently upon the wooden piece of history.

Everything became black.

My head, I can remember those moments…but now… light, I see…a sky…something does not look right, maybe a storm is coming…but where am I?

I am in a crowd of people, how did I get here? They seem to be cheering, no…some are cheering, some are crying…

What are those in the distance, I need to get closer.

“Excuse me, I just want to get through please.” Each attempt he made to move through the crowd politely was met with stares and uncomfortable glances.

“Excuse me, please!” It was on another attempt that he finally realized that the languages being spoken around him were not his own. He pushed on, further puzzled by all he was experiencing.

He finally managed to make his way to a decent vantage point and immediately stopped when he could make out the objects he sought out more clearly.

This cannot be…it is…impossible!

Not having long to grasp this new bewilderment, he felt a rough bump against his arm as two armored men walked past, almost dragging another man. The man was bloodied from head to toe, the wounds were too numerable to count, and he wore something unusual upon his head. Suddenly the man turned his head.

Their eyes seemed to meet only briefly.

These eyes, I have never seen anything like them. They have such emotion, such otherworldly hope within them…such pain…how can I be here? How can this be?!

The armored men continued on with him.

When they reached their destination, the horror began. What he now saw was incomprehensible. The crowd only added to the nightmare unfolding with an unsettling mixture of crying and taunting, cheering and protest.

How can I watch this? How can I avert my gaze…

He stood in silence, unable to turn away, tears slowly falling from his face.

When it was done, the nails, the jeers, and the cross that held this man. The sun was snuffed out; the sky became dark from one end to the other.

I feel ill. Some of these people are still cheering…I could never have imagined this being so…so…

He dropped to his knees and wept uncontrollably, shutting his eyes as tightly as he could to see no more.

“Sir?”

He could feel a gentle hand upon his shoulder and slowly opened his eyes to see whom it was that spoke not only to him, but also in a language he could understand.

“Are you alright, sir?” The guard seemed genuinely concerned.

Am I alright! I can never truly be alright again…

“I guess... I am…” He said wiping the tears from his eyes and looking around him. He began to stand up. “I think I am anyway.”

“You aren’t supposed to be back here my friend.” The guard smiled while he closed the display case. “Besides the museum is closed, let me see you out.”

The guard walked him to the exit door at the side of the building and opened it for him. “Is there anything else you would like to see before you leave?”

I have seen more than I can completely comprehend for a lifetime.

“Thank you, but I think I have seen my share of history.” He said as he walked out of the exit door.

As he walked towards his car he could hear the guard say quietly,
“Perhaps for today.”



















-j.g.smith (07/22/07) *300th post