44. More Practice
More Practice
While we had learned
more about Styx’s powers,
that they were influenced
by her feelings – the dark eel
was born from her rage,
the red crab as we called it
was born from her annoyance –
we still didn’t know
where my abilities of creation
came from. I knew somehow
they were linked to
my prophetic dreams and how
I could pluck stars from the sky.
But knew neither how nor why.
We sat on the golden beach
watching Nyx paint the sky black,
her chariot infusing ink-dark smoke
into the blue of the day,
turning it into the night.
‘Have you tried making something
without waiting for a dream or a calling?’
Styx asked me this question
as the stars came out slowly,
blinking in our direction.
I shook my head. ‘No.
Even the glowworms
were born from the innermost
heart of a dying star.’
Styx was quiet a moment,
then picked up a piece of sea glass
at my feet. ‘How do you know,’
she asked, handing it to me,
‘whether you can create without
the use of stars or dreams
if you do not try?’