From James Sale’s Epic Poem DoorWay: ‘Arriving in Aquarius’

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Opening extract from Canto 9 DoorWay: Arriving in Aquarius

The poet, wrenched from love’s bliss with Seraphina in Canto 8, is carried onward by the Butterfly to his final destination. His journey leads him past the cosmic scorpion—his own sign—forcing him to confront the lingering shadows of mortality. Yet, salvation is near, as the great Eagle descends, lifting him towards the celestial threshold. Arriving in the realm of Aquarius, the poet stands before the radiant throne of God. He beholds the Ancient of Days, the One who orders all time and existence. Before Him, he trembles, overwhelmed by divine majesty, but is upheld by grace. The unfolding vision reveals the final judgment, the fall of the wicked, and the triumph of righteousness… and more!

What was a hand (or so I thought) a wing
Outstretched, once more and sailing effortless
Upon its merest tip of touch to bring

Me where ahead I’d find my peace and rest;
Though wrenched I was to have to leave love’s bliss—
The woman made for me whom God made best,

For whom I had been made, made to exist:
Welded as metals are fused to alloy,
Both there, but one now with new qualities;

Stronger by far, no rust here to destroy, 
Resilient to the nth degree; beyond,
The stars had moved, in new formation lay.

I looked and saw, surprised, my trembling hand—
Why tremble here in heaven’s highest peak?
Two reasons my soul came to understand:

That first: no time here; yet time surged unique.
How was it change occurred, perfection stayed?
Doubts seemed answered in my own self-speech.

How could that be? And then my vision strayed
To see an object where I had arrived: 
Upon the ground a lethal scorpion swayed,

Its tail held up and poised in its own pride.
Born in its sign, so must I at last face
That thorn-like wrath stuck present in my side.

Which way to go—positioned near his place,
I could not reach that final door, or move?
‘Look up, look up!’ I heard the words of grace;

And as I did, I saw that Eagle’s love
Soaring, spectacular down from its height,
Swooping, for its sole purpose thus to save: 

Save me—and every woman, every wight,
Who called upon the Name above all names .
I heard the rushing and the wings of flight.

The speck above from that death cluster’s sign
Became in its awesome, awful descent
Much more, as when Ezekiel’s Cherubim

Sounded, reality’s fabric then rent:
Revealing four faces that never turned,
Always moving in direction straight;

The Ox I’d seen before , and from him learnt 
The medicine of God for my own good;
The Lion’s courage, too, I’d faced , which meant

No harm; instead, let courage be my food,
That I might persevere and see at last
The throne upon which sat the living God;

The One … desire of every nation past
And present. Now the Eagle’s eye just stared
And through me drilled—some morsel to its taste,

X-rayed even; and no molecule spared
Before the Eye to which all details mattered;
I saw my life in reels one instant shared,

And there was no excuse that I could utter!
The Eagle, Ox and Lion; and one left
To see: that Face—and now as if a shutter

Opened, myself I felt began to lift
As by an Eagle’s powerful claw uprisen,
Above the door, scaling its steepest cliff.

No effort thus, He took me into heaven.
My seventieth year, eighth month, and ninth day
I was—through Him—absolved, fully forgiven 

To see the One who’d never been away ;
Consistent my whole life through, always there,
Prompting and guiding, howsoever I strayed.

But as I entered the vast, crystal sphere
That had no doors, but mansions interlocked,
And interlocking, every space was here

And every time in future too, all clocked;
To view just one detail—to view it all.
The scale of it weighed on the bravest, shocked—

Nothing was lacking, for its larder’s full.
I knew not how I knew—beyond the facts—
That this forever would fulfil my soul:

I saw the universe—and in a box
That I could see right through, all contained,
As it were matches a stationer stocked!

So small beside the Sphere some Breath sustained;
But if that were cause for profoundest awe
So be it; now, another reason reigned,

Producing trembling unaccounted for:
Before me, where the Eagle placed me down, 
Four living creatures whom no lightning seared

As round one wild whirlwind circled a throne
Belonging to One the heathens called Gu La ,
Which Babylonians named Enki, their Great One;

Though lost to them, the true God was not far:
In every conscience, and on every lip.
Above—I saw Aquarian , countless stars,

Configure into what was like Man’s shape
Who held the waters—with only one hand—
Massive and plentiful, inside one cup 

With which to baptise Earth at His command;
Renew the soil, refresh polluted seas
And raise the dead who’d gone, gone … far beyond

All mortal sight—(soon, soon He comes !)—and me?
I stood dumb-struck, not sure my focus was:
The vault, its brilliant lapis lazuli ?

Or where His waist of glowing metal, flawless,
And upwards, full of fire, His body soared,
Where it appeared one rainbow formed His aura

Whose presence outwards, inwards to his core
Drew every living eye to worship Him?
Yes, that, I blinked—saw where what eyes were for!

Instantly, I fell, lifeless in every limb:
I’d seen the living Lord! And lay there blind,
Hearing, their “Holy, Holy, Holy” hymn

That rinsed the cosmos to its outer rind;
Not only heaven and its highest point,
But down beneath where quarks and gluons grind

To make the matter which His will appoints
To do His will…

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Notes

l. 21. a lethal scorpion. See Canto 1, note iii for more on the Scorpion’s unique function as the sign of death and—coupled with the eagle—also the sign of resurrection.
ll. 31–32. Save me … / … the Name above all names. ‘Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them’ (Hebrews 7:25, KJV).
l. 36. Ezekiel’s Cherubim. The Cherubim are mentioned several times in the book of Ezekiel, but the most detailed and vivid descriptions are found in Ezekiel 1 and Ezekiel 10:

And within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form. Each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight and their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they sparkled like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides were human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward. As for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man, all four had the face of a lion on the right, the face of a bull on the left, and the face of an eagle. Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and two covering their bodies. And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire. And the living beings ran to and fro, like bolts of lightning. (Ezekiel 1:5–14, NASB).

l. 40. The Ox I’d seen before. See SW Canto 12.
l. 42. The Lion’s courage, too, I’d faced. See DW Canto 8.
l. 61. To see the One who’d never been away. ‘Everything of the past and everything of the present and everything of the future God creates in the innermost realms of the human soul’ – Meister Eckhart.
l. 83. Gu La. In Mesopotamian mythology, Ea (also known as Enki) was considered the god of wisdom, magic, water, and crafts. He was associated with freshwater sources, especially the Abzu, which was the primeval freshwater ocean that existed beneath the earth. Gu La is a Sumerian term that can be translated as ‘Great Waters’ or ‘Deep Waters,’ symbolizing Ea’s connection to these life-giving waters. Ea was credited with creating humankind and was known as a wise and benevolent deity who cared for humanity. He played a significant role in many myths and legends, offering guidance to humans and other gods alike. His influence extended beyond Babylon, with variations of his character and stories present in other Mesopotamian cultures as well.
l. 87. I saw Aquarian. Aquarius is an air sign and the final one in the zodiac, focusing on broad, intellectual concepts. Known for its innovation, progressivism, rebelliousness, and humanitarian spirit, Aquarius is the most forward-thinking sign. Air energy is connected to the mind, making Aquarius intellectual, curious, and social. Represented by the water-bearer, Aquarius symbolizes a mystical healer who brings life-giving water to the land. In tarot, the Star card depicts Aquarius as a mythical figure, grounded yet reaching for new inspiration to nurture hope and healing. Rooted in collaboration, Aquarius aims to create positive change for the greater good. Located between Capricornus and Pisces, Aquarius is one of the oldest recognized constellations. Its name, meaning ‘water-carrier,’ reflects its association with water. Aquarius was listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy and remains one of the 88 modern constellations, found in a region known for watery constellations like Pisces and Cetus. In Babylonian astronomy, Aquarius was identified as “The Great One” and represented the god Ea (Gu La), depicted with an overflowing vase. In Greek mythology, Aquarius is sometimes linked to Deucalion, who survived a great flood with his wife, Pyrrha, aboard a ship. Deucalion is called Noah in the Hebrew tradition: one who survives the wrath of God.
l. 94. soon, soon He comes! At the end of Revelation 22:20, Jesus says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ The response from John is, ‘Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus,’ which conveys the same longing for Christ’s return as ‘Maranatha,’ from 1 Corinthians 16:22, and which means ‘Come, Lord Jesus’.
l. 96. lapis lazuli. A deep-blue metamorphic rock prized for its vivid colour and used for centuries in art, jewellery, and as a pigment. The intense blue of lapis lazuli has been associated with the heavens and spirituality, and it has been historically significant in cultures such as Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Renaissance. WB Yeats wrote a poem with this title which talks of its cultural significance.

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James Sale has had over 50 books published, most recently, “Mapping Motivation for Top Performing Teams” (Routledge, 2021). He has been nominated by The Hong Kong Review for the 2022 Pushcart Prize for poetry, has won first prize in The Society of Classical Poets 2017 annual competition, and performed in New York in 2019. He is a regular contributor to The Epoch Times. His most recent poetry collection is “StairWell.” For more information about the author, and about his Dante project, visit https://englishcantos.home.blog. To subscribe to his brief, free and monthly poetry newsletter, contact him at [email protected]