tale of the raping woods

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When our eyes met
I heard your cries-

roars rumbling round ripping ruckus
among the golden skirt of leaves
that twirls along the forest floors;

the forest I fought to escape...
In an instant, I’m brought back to
Skies screaming silver torrents down

beating bruises into our limbs...

Your crime-pain fused with mine.
On legs fast and nimble,
they carried me here
where I found you,
in the forest of fear
among the pines and the elms.

But someone found you before I did,
in your grace,
beaten and oddly blue,
choking on the very secret
we all long to tell.

Our innocence a match
our pain the flame.
And all it took,
was a flick of flint and embers
among the floor
and those golden skirts of leaves whirled in rage red.

Flames licking the gnarled eyes-
burning the vice limbs of the raping woods...
and then the trees were no more.
Their snickers and taunts,
chased by the most northern wind
were swallowed by a mother elm with her wise laugh.

Evil now trapped-
and gnashing within the maternal womb
of the wood,
thrashing against the strength and innocence,
of a thousand women captured in a hollow tree.


Never again a tale to be told of spilled youth,
draining into the roots of the land,
mixing with our tears, our maiden-blood, and our nightmares.


It ballooned up into an eternal inferno,
that burns still between every acknowledgement of injustice
and every nod of vengeance paid.

fear

Punishing each tear with
the back of my hand
each tear that falls,
avoiding eye contact
afraid
of the words that will spill
from my lips
holding my breath
at each set of approaching footsteps
and
expecting to find him
on my front step
or behind the shower curtain
and at the end of every dream
I fight to escape
but cannot.