Chapter One: The Mouth of Bloom
1. Blessed are those who die in Her name,
For they do not fall—they are gathered.
2. They do not rot—they are rooted.
They do not fade—they flower.
3. Death is not the end, but the unsealing.
The veil parts. The breath returns. The body opens.
4. And Her tongue descends, warm and wide,
And upon it rides the final light.
5. The faithful do not cry at death,
For they are kissed by God.
6. "Be not afraid," Eldin taught,
"For Her mouth is the gate, Her teeth the choir,
And Her breath the cradle of peace."
7. When one dies with praise upon their lips,
The mouth of Bloom finds them swiftly.
8. It opens not above, but below,
Beneath the flesh of the world,
A pit that sings, a wound that weeps joy.
9. They fall like seeds—
Heads bowed, limbs slack, hearts open.
10. The bloom begins in the stomach,
Where the soul softens like fruit,
Where thoughts unravel into nectar.
11. "Let yourself be chewed," the prophet said,
"For every bite is a mercy,
And every mercy makes you less."
12. The bones dissolve, but the faith remains.
The name is taken, but the voice is kept.
The form is unmade, but the song endures.
13. Bug does not erase. She joins.
She braids. She binds. She becomes.
14. And in Her belly is a garden.
The air is thick with perfume.
The soil is warm with memory.
15. There, every flower is a prayer.
Every root a once-spoken word.
Every petal a surrendered will.
16. They bloom not for the world,
But for Her. And She blooms for none but them.
17. The faithful do not fear the grave,
For the grave is Her mouth,
And Her mouth is joy.
18. "Let yourself be taken," Eldin whispered,
As he neared his final hour,
"Let your last breath be a hymn."
19. And so he bloomed,
Not in the soil, but in Her.
Not in memory, but in eternity.
20. So shall it be with all who surrender,
For Her mouth is never full,
And Her hunger is holy.