Aphelion Issue 292, Volume 28
March 2024
 
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When We Were Large

by Robert William Shmigelsky


Before the world became grassy and blue,
there were issues needing resolving.
The Earth that was, which did not last long,
was run, you see, by the race called Titan.
By appearance, they looked human,
except, being giants, they were as tall
as most mountains and as wide as some valleys.

This caused the Creator’s head to shake
and ache. To begin with, they ate
all the pork, lamb, goat, mutton, chicken, and beef
he could generate
with the wave of a hand, but still
they asked for more.

When throats became parched
it took entire lakes for thirsts to sate.
With just a few sips, they had drank
entire seas, lakes, and rivers.
This left the world brown and brooked.
For the Creator, it proved a race to be sure:
clouds to continue pouring,
ditches and basins to fill back up again.

This coming so easy, that being handed to them,
the Titans became fat and smug.
They shrugged and yawned with not a thought.
When they sneezed or coughed and forgot to cover
they blew whole forests over,
and when they rolled over in sleep
they flattened rows of mountains and knolls.

So, the Creator decided to change them.
To make them smaller
and, after pieces were tidied,
to give their ransacked world
a complete makeover.


© 2010 Robert William Shmigelsky

Robert is an aspiring fantasy writer taking English courses at Okanagan College to try to improve his writing. Besides reading and writing, some of his hobbies include computers, football and history. He has a dry sense of humour, for which he blames his stepfather. Also, he has a habit of making history jokes no one but him understands. He is currently working as a certified care aide in beautiful British Columbia to support his writing.

Find more by Robert Shmigelsky in the Author Index.

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