and the
too
few words on
the rain
sole
to
clear a grey sky
say less than asked.

So searching
between
lines
not
written,
for most
that were
were crossed,

to read the
heart
hidden
in the
nature of who
for her
triumph
was lost,

uncovers still
two tales
of
one creature
and one
must be
fiction
if the other true

and each
who
finds
her in the
blank spaces
will then
find a
contrarian’s view.

See many,
she
plodded
from a
hall of hungry wolves
in a
supple
lamb’s frock,

a pup of their den,
but guised
to pad
their
stance
far
above
her middling flock.

As marked
in the
raptor’s
sharp wing
to his
turf’s
crested bough
how best to get ahead,

and in the
cusp of
a
cutthroat fall
to
sinking coffer
below
how far better to keep a head.

See more,
she wore
no cloak;
was plainly
the gentlest
you
could have
ever known,

it was,
so, for
no fleece
of her’s,
‘came the
fresh
plated offer
to take the throne.

only in
wily
hunt of
leashing
the
gold scepter
of
his hand,

But from
sweet desire
her consort
find her
shelter
from his
darker merlin’s
wrath,

did
meekly
whisper a
wolf’s word
this
untethered peregrine
flew
foul of path;

and
over the
enchanting
refrains the
crooner
knew to call
and
the sway so to spin,

on the roll
of its
pacific wind
wisped purely
in the
direction
they
were driven-

their true north-
bound devotion
to obey
and
serve
her
entirely
devoted servant-

See each,
the paragon
was
paled in great beauty
or
was
the
fairest of them all,

still
either being,
was not
cursed
by the blazing wit
had
sparked
her prior’s fall.

So
but eleven
morns
seen in
its wake,
he lifted a
smoking crown
as soon her own,

There a
gardener
christened her
expectant fertile
field as
the realm’s
new
holier ground,

and so
turned halls,
til lush
with
virtuoso’s song,
soon strictly
barren with
virtuous sound.

For the
maid said caught
waiting on
a seat abandoned
latterly
took the
one next
to his instead

from who
was heard
traded
his badge of dishonor
clasped
to her neck
for its
mark in red,

and saw
more grace
in
unforward fashion,
so
stripped
all of their
undomestic habits;

all, but
her
pride’s
decorum
kept
at stitching
arms’ lengths
of silken fabrics.

And see most,
fates
faltered
such as follows
beneath
unnatural
beastly
weight,

He stalked
feral
his quest
so perilous
even so for his
third and one
to at last bow
his coveted six,

as bone
did break
as ego
maimed by beak
did put it
in stone
with a
storied man’s sticks.

Yet in
lack of
manner or regard,
the
warden,
undrowned
by strains
denied due

His torch
now carried
for the
tender barterer
only to ever proffer
an unshackled rein
he’d hold
instead,

as now
a marauder
of mutton
for savage ambition
catered to
a ravenous
hunger
ill-fed.

And this
compass
now a
once
young maiden
spun
by time
to desolate despair;

treaded
forsaken
water ere
her tin anchor’s
lilted
siren song
set sail
to stormless air.

and bided
tides turned
by each
new moon,
til but the third
saw his spectral collar
of an august bird
unduly quelled,

but too
lit their course
ill-flown
in secret,
well-known
too broad and far
ere minutes could
turn to hour,

and so
cast it dim
for who
saw it
charted too soon
by his grim,
coarse
miswielded power.

Yet as ships,
past dark,
passed
the resonant bell
unrung,
lauding cannons
lit a
leaden sky,

for floated
hope
an uprising sun
would,
in reflection,
outshine
this reason
why.

A thrice-
etched
cipher to
heed a heeling vow
veiled as a
generous
gift of
gold

was a
knotted chain
recoiled to alter
two loops to
two newly
tied now
with
two of old.

as even
lamb
could be
led to slaughter
if memory
failed ever
to serve
an iron fist-

and verily,
when her
wolfish talon
dared
deftly bare,
he foretold it
cause of
haunting effects.

So she
pled his pardon
for
meddled affairs
when was inclined
to lenient peace
in a
journey of grace,

and hence
wouldn’t
engage him
in war
but for a wretch
or two
to be relaced in
their lady’s place-

For built a
case steel
against
two door keys,
as forged with
true celeste blood
descended
from anointed birth,

his first
so cast
to dwell only
as well-heeled
in defiant devotion
as ever
more broke in
material mirth.

If not
too
his second
tumbled to
pyrite panned
as clung to the
auric cord
she abetted
cutting loose.

when dangled
shy
twine braided
sly
to gird
the twisted hangman’s
taut
noose.

But to press
more seemly
the felt
more natural fabric
of a
closer-knitted
patchworked
tapestry,

she needled
in finespun
circles
re-suited to the
immeasurable
patterns of
an exacting
whimsical vanity.

As would
mend his
banner high-hung
with swaths
back-stitched,
if only now
up-raised
beneath her’s and her own,

for championed bows,
in deferential fashion,
as slow
to concede
as quick to seize
any
ribbon
near thrown.

In regard
of her
no lack of
manners,
he staked her claim
to his lair,
and next to
four and 100 more,

and cantered
her paces
over and beyond
where she was
born to sit
to see cross
to their
diamond shore;

yet she
resheathed her own
all aquiver
in angst
of piercing
his lurking
ever
shallow beast.

they hastened her
sheer spring
to the
over-grazed
peak
for a now
thrice-trodden
route.

of a
trophy
now yet
reserved
for his antidote
to display
on high
the toxic mark of eight.

Rescripted
a heretic,
unrepentant,
sermons
unindulgent
of her venom
to more
open gospel,

but to be
reformed
yet anew
in an imperial act of wonder
to but the
colorless din
of an
eminent hostile,

and yet more,
amid the masses,
no blinder adherent
could be
again
found to
flock
more faithful.

Thus, a glory
never beheld
was seen fated
forthwith
to banish
the ere two
now shrouded
from jaded memory

by a
chaplain
in an arc of
lofty redemption
of her aura
yet seen still
as the
fatal first sin’s epitome.

But time
instead
saw the realm
burning frozen
ere she
ascended
in the wake of
all hallowed tide,

as a
fervent flood
flowed inferno
and their chalices
half-raised
were
over-tipped
by more ebony ice yet scried.

Still,
without star
or second to spare,
he tended to
their harvest,
dancing over
the pale light of
her waning moon

til by
bonfire for
yield razed
in his likeness,
exalted
as soon
at last
their highest noon.

But then
quailed
in wait
pacing
the land
from where
his mare would
come to roost,

as a seed
poor planted
did
three nights
ravage
their garden
and set
ill-temper loose.

But with
daybreak
came
beads of dew
to cool
as did beams
still too hot
to weather,

so delicate petals
wilted
in the
burgeoning
morning bed
in where
did she bloom
the other.

For a
fear stemmed
from felled
branches past
came
to pass
through
a different root,

but prayed
many
her mettle
made of oak
so she could
regrow to
as soft
as new.

Their faith-
fevered-
water wholly
outpoured
would see
her colors
would yet
hold faint,

and her
blush
rising
to rays a
fledgling sun
now
dawned
of unshading paint.

So
ecstatic peals
still
echoed
through streets
lit with flint
long eager
to strike,

and littered
with fists
lifted
triumphant
of those
who cared
and
who feigned alike,

so loud
his disquiet
for his paragon
drifted
nearer
her
looming
unashened loam.

And indeed
re-met her sight
cushioned from
a sequent
last passage
divined in a
sixth first rite
by still flaring fire,

for clear,
as son
crossed
to his Father’s arms,
she to the
Holy Ghost’s
draped in his
wine-stained attire.

All while
her flaxen locks
splayed
in grave omen
of the only
golden coil
did ever come
to crown her,

now
manifesting
over his
ethereal dream
incarnate now
all but
descended
under.

Perhaps
in a
last
mocking crow
of the merlin
cast as crone
by wanton
devilish power,

on eve
of the
13th night past,
her last breath
taken
with the
stroke of first
witching hour.

just seven fore the
curtained threads
bared
to honor
the now
three
lost found
side by side.

led the
dirge with
one voice more
for every
four seasons
she had
watched
turn to prior.

And over
his stolen
reprieve,
his grief bled
and robes
were dyed
the coal ink
of his heart

and so worn
six fortnights full
fore had
others drawn
in blueprint to
fill ever more
yet a
hollowed part.

As she
bequeathed him
his twice withheld
wrapped parcel
bearing
his pure
fixed
desire,

and the
tailored gift
of just shy of
time enough
for her
calming wiles
to come
to only tire.

So he
did her
a palatial parting
he decried
petulantly
no others
were ever
due,

and vowed
her’s
the vaulted hearth
he at
tempest’s end
would
bestow his
carcass to.

As he did
as his torrent
did end,
but not
soon enough,
not soon enough
by
half,

for three more
yet to become
worn
far worse
for their turn
carrying
the slithery burden
of his staff.

Yet
while
her dusted frame
is held
still
in wind
by his near
bone crushing grip,

her spirit
freed
in a
cobbled hall
holds a candle
to hope
brimming
its last drip,

it will lead
to the warm
cradling glow
of the precious sun’s
vital flicker
she gave her
last
to light,

but its
silver stick
is tarnished
more
with every corner
turning
to only
the cold pitch of night.

For still
unaware
its dusk came early,
too,
now just a
footnote
brief in
time of lore,

for judges
of which
are oft
held more captive
by trials
unjust
just
after and before.

But now
see more
there may be
layers more
than had
held
their
passing eyes,

beyond
only
her quiet duty
done;
deep into
the depths
of her
hows and whys.

but of her
any of
many
wondered whys,
no one
must be
fiction
if another true.

Or may have
beheld
no reach
greater
than when
reached down
from a
towering seat,

or foreseen
no mirror
grander
than one
mirrored
her grandeur
once capped by
this inspiring feat.

Or yet,
played
no moves
of her own
only obeyed
rules given
by who
gave her name,

But, she did
prize an
allied war-scarred rose
could be
plucked
if
she unpricked
her own

and yet for,
life did
come to
see one
just the
ever green
inscription on
her stone.