28. Entreaty

The golden, curly-haired boy
skipped through the fields
and forests and came with joy
to city streets and peals

of old, old bells. He raced
and found them, ringing still
though cracked and placed
in deep, deep caves. His will

revealed the way. His heart
provided light enough. Boom! Boom!
Stalactites fell apart
and crashed throughout the room.

He found the thrashing ropes
and one by one he drew
each taut till ancient hopes
at last found peace. He knew

near-silence. Slow red drops oozed
along his neck. They hissed, he thought.
His heart grew brighter, his mind confused.
Impure, impure the silence he had sought.

The hissing loudened. A rainbow snake
encoiled and rose as high
as his bloody head. His chest began to shake
with fear, then laughter. His heart
did burst, and he did die,
and scrawled on the limestone slate:
All ye who enter here, let sleeping snakes lie.

Next>>

Back to Akt

Magellan's Log IX

Magellan's Log front page