The Four Tezcatlipocas
Had four sons who sat at each corner of our young cosmos.
These newborn deities were dubbed Tezcatlipoca (smoking mirrors)
Not unlike the veil of illusion, which the Hindu Vedas call Maya.
To the East stood Quetzalcoatl; Feathered Serpent, whose face shone white.
From deep South came Huitzilopochtli; Hummingbird Sorcerer and blue-faced warrior.
Westward arrived Xipe Totec; Flayed Lord of agriculture whom bore a bloody visage.
From far North came Tezcatlipoca proper; black in aspect and with a dark soul to match.
Back then, the Earth was covered by primordial waters where a crocodile named Cipactli swam.
Black Tezcatlipoca even lost a leg to Cipactli when he was trying to seed the planet
So the four brothers made an aquatic god (Tlaloc) and goddess (Chalchiuhtlicue) to reign over the deeps.
Tamed by these siblings, the oceans receded and dry land was then populated with giants.
During the first age Tezcatlipoca himself became the sun, but his light was far too dim.
Quetzalcoatl could not tolerate his poor lighting and so knocked him out of the sky.
Incensed———Tezcatlipoca unleashed a horde of mighty Jaguars into the world.
Since night had befallen, the giants of that first age were hunted to extinction!
In the second age Quetzalcoatl beamed from above, having created a new folk.
His people were not very tall but over time they began thinking too highly of themselves.
Because they took the gods for granted, Tezcatlipoca turned them into monkeys.
Disliking their transformation, Quetzalcoatl descended as Lord Huracan (the hurricane) and blew them all away!
A third age dawned during which Tlaloc rose to illuminate the days of another race.
Unfortunately, Tezcatlipoca moved in on his wife Xochiquetzal, the goddess of love.
Seeing this made Tlaloc jealous and he refused to irrigate any crops down below.
Everybody cried out for relief from this dreadful drought but rather vengeful, Tlaloc hailed fire instead!
Consequently, Earth needed to be remade in the fourth age from the third era's ashes.
Hence, Chalchiuhtlicue ascended to give off her luminescence.
Yet ever a scoundrel, callous Tezcatlipoca accused her of vainglory.
Heartbroken by his persistent critique, that world was drowned in her divine tears!
Finally, Quetzalcoatl descended to the Earth's core as big black ant and retrieved grains of sacred corn.
Dousing them with his own blood, he created humankind as we know ourselves.
Meanwhile warlike Huitzilopochtli arose to heaven and became a fifth sun.
Then Tezcatlipoca convinced us that bloodletting should be our repayment...
Wars raged upon Terra Firma for millennia in the name of one god or another.
Quetzalcoatl vanished, betrayed by his evil twin brother, yet vowing to return.
Xipe Totec's veins were gradually drained by bloodthirsty inhumanity.
Sanctity is nowhere to be seen now since cynical people shun any gods whatsoever.
However, Huitzilopochtli is also a patron of the arts and he desires Metanoia.
If we can transcend life's rigors through sheer artistry then there still may be hope left for us.
Only such Toltec artisans could summon Quetzalcoatl and might even revive Xipe Totec.
Otherwise, cruel Tezcatlipoca surely has many more upheavals in store for us during the sixth sun called Tonatiuh.
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