As luck would have it, today is a Tuesday, which means we’re facing a “Two-for-Tuesday” prompt. For folks new to the challenge, you can choose one prompt, write to both, or try to mix them together in one poem. Here are the prompts:

1. Write a beginning poem. Today is the beginning of this challenge. It’s also the beginning of April. But there are so many other beginnings: Beginning of a relationship, beginning of school, beginning of the rest of your life, and so on. Pick a beginning to write about.
2. Write an ending poem. Often, though not always, beginnings come as the result of an ending. Sometimes endings are cause for disappointment, heartbreak, or numbness. Other times, endings are celebrated. Capture an ending today.

End of the Golden Age

Verily I say unto you,
This generation shall not pass,
till all these things be fulfilled.
Heaven and earth shall pass away…
– Matthew 24:34-35

Jesus was 2000 years ahead of his time
But the gods of the apocalypse
Will not bring justice for anyone
Poseidon will swallow seaside cities
Thor will hammer the flatland with tornadoes
Shiva will burn the rest

We’ve had a great run
Accomplishments both gory and glorious
We’ve flung our fellow men to the moon
And our robots to the stars
We’ve tamed the wilderness
And consumed it whole

We’ve trashed our hotel room
Like the rock stars we are
Now let’s slip into nothingness
Naked on the toilet
Gasoline overdose
Still in our veins

And like an abused groupie
Maiden Earth will be fine someday
Sure we left a few bruises
And plenty of DNA evidence
For future forensic archaeologists
But she will heal and forget