(Inspired by 'The God of Impertinence' by Sten Nadolny) br br How that fire warms, forged br tools comfort, enable, br utile as physics, reason, & the average man Diogenes br br never sought, bulwark against child-based instruction, br as if molecules & br viruses perform for the naked eye. Reason, reduced to br br refutation of old testimonials, Jesus speciously br aligned w br unfiltered wrath. Hephaestus's utility, salvation- tho br br no one invokes his name after stubbing his toe or br sees him (or his mother) br in pancakes- forges ahead of Momus of ridicule & br br handsome Dionysius w weapons of br mass deception & br instruments quantifying Vanity and the br br striven after Wind, the club-footed deity thru br whom Lucifer found br Edison's third ear, inspiring sweat- such br br medicine- br *pharmakon*- br girding one last- br ditch defense against br all threat of prophesied second act or profit- br br less sequel, morality and mortality gold-plated- br out in br deference to a baseless-yet-somehow-higher br br moral ground, embracing gratuitous br upgrades, trivializing br momentum, obscuring & out- br br sourcing memory, the Fire that br warms, burns, melts & molds for br Hephaestus, father of br br Pandora, w Faith that only the warmth will intrude.