The Tale of Two Sisters Ix'iloom (esh-ee-loám), the one who sees, ......gazes upon her sister Ixkeem, the weaver, ......admiring her beauty. Both are fair to look upon, ......their skulls elongated ......from the ritualistic shaping. Their parents, wanting to honor ......the First Father, Hun Nal Ye (the Maize God), ......and to increase their beauty, ......had strapped, as tradition demanded, ......two boards tightly to their skulls ......for their first three years. Though the pain had been great, ......they had learned ......that sacrifice was necessary ......for the survival of the People. As befitting their birth into the ruling class, ......both of their lives had been pampered, ......partaking of bounteous ......riches and blessings. As they grew, the two became more comely, ......raising passion within men. The wealth of their family ......increased their desirability. Seventeen growing seasons ......had passed for the oldest, ......while only sixteen for Ix'iloom. Ixkeem is betrothed .....to the hunter B'alaam, “The Jaguar." The many gods, ......counted on thirty-eight sets of hands, ......had blessed the land, ......until two seasons ago. The rains increased and.the milpa rotted. Without their fields of corn the people will die, ......both spiritually and physically. They, the very children of the gods, ......surely have committed a wrong. Why else would the blessed maize be cursed? The astrologers, peering deep into the sky, ......understanding what must be done, ......came forward with the decree. The call went out to the cities and villages, ......first, to the priests and then the citizens. Tears well in the sisters’ eyes. ......as the Quetzal-feathered priests ......lead them down ......the winding stairwell, ......the blue-green costumes contrasting sharply ......with their near nakedness. In the final room of this last walk, ......magnificent bowls honor them ......and the history of their people. Only for a moment, Ixkeem wants to dash, ......to live, to marry and raise a family; ......but these are no longer honorable choices. Their fate is sealed, ......accepting that they will soon be ......welcomed by their ancestors ......into Xibalbá (shee bal bah). The shovel carefully breaks through the soil ......revealing an opening. As the debris is cautiously removed, ......the anthropologists shine light ......into the darkness. It passes over the intact bowls and the bones. Excitement overwhelms them ......as word spreads around the dig ......of this great discovery. Later, the story in ......the New York Times edition reads, ......Maya Tomb Tells Tale of Two Women, ......Elite but Doomed. Comments: Yes, this poem is based on the July 14, 2005 NYT article mentioned at the end of the poem. The authentic names and content of the poem come from my historical research regarding the Mayans. Obviously, the specific circumstances of actual events are the result of poetical license. Here is additional information about this fascinating civilization. The Maya originated around 2600 B.C. and rose to prominence around A.D. 250 in present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. Inheriting the inventions and ideas of earlier civilizations, the Maya developed astronomy, calendrical systems, hieroglyphic writing, ceremonial architecture, and masonry without metal tools. Maya civilization started to decline around A.D. 900, although some peripheral centers continued to thrive until the Spanish conquest in the early sixteenth century.