A monk to be welled up alive
After breaking his sacred vows
Bet his life on a magnum opus
In one night with all the knowledge
Deep and wide of heaven and earth
to appease the communal fury
in the glory of the holy community
Forever famed in an earthly shrine.
So, the monk made a special prayer
To Lucifer, Prince of Darkness fallen
From heaven in exchange for his soul
For helping him complete the opus.
The Devil answered the prayer thus
And possessed the monk with feats
of supernatural erudition and swiftness.
The monk then paid his dues in twofold:
The portrait of his satanic master in the opus
And the offering of his life to Lord of Hell
In the likeness of the life of one Dr. Faustus
According to the gospel of Marlowe.
Thereby lies the Codex Gigas immortal
Author’s Note: This poem is based on my reading of an article about “The Devil’s Bible” that survived the infernal fire in a Swedish castle. It’s arguably the largest medieval manuscript in the world originated in 13th century Bohemia. The scribe who penned this formidable book is said to have made a Faustian pact with the devil for completion thereof in just one day. What’s more, the book escaped the inferno by being defenestrated outside the window despite its being of 8.7 inches thick and 75 kilograms (approximately 165 pounds). The story is so remarkable that it has been registered in my mind’s book since I read it. The Devil’s Bible is now preserved at the National Library of Sweden in Stockholm.
A Cat in the Mirror 