The Eyes of Our Jaguar God

Another from Lowenfels out of Some Deaths (1964).

From the Mayan Book of Chilam Balam

In the beginning there was no sin; we adhered
     to the dictates of reason.  There was then
     no sickness, no aching bones, no high fevers,
     no smallpox, no burning chests,
     no abdominal pains, no consumption.  We had
     then no headaches; the course of humanity
     was orderly.  The foreigners made it
     otherwise when they arrived here.

With the false god, the false word, came the
     beginning of our misery, the beginning
     of strife with purse-snatching, the
     beginning of strife with blow guns,
     the beginning of strife by trampling
     on people, the beginning of robbery
     with violence, the beginning of forced debts.

We were the very poor people who did not
     depart when oppression was put on them.
     It was done by the kinkajous of the
     towns, the foxes of the towns, the
     bloodsucking insects of the towns--
     those who drained the poverty of the
     working people.

But it shall come to pass that tears
     shall become the eyes of our jaguar
     God.  His justice shall descend upon
     every part of the earth, straight upon
     Ah Kanteria and Ix Pucyola, the
     voracious hagglers of the world.