A MYTH/MOVIE/DREAM: Poem Response to One Single Impression Prompt of 7/13/08

A MYTH/MOVIE/DREAM

Night after night he has summoned her
to his dark forest kingdom,
to quake before the cold throne
of his love.

Silent and brooding, he dips
his horned head in a massive
swoop of entreaty.

One taloned hand grips a stone arm
of his throne, the other trembles
vaguely toward her.

The pale wraith of her soul
flutters before him.

Why do you call me here, she cries,
night after night, stealing my soul
from the sleeping flesh of my body.
You know I will never love you.

Her small face waivers faintly
alabaster beneath the stars.

Yes, this I know, this I know.
He shakes his head sadly
and boulders leagues away tumble.
He shifts his goat thighs, and mice
and owls and lions flee for cover.

Yes, this I know. I have called you
one last time ... to set you free.

She burns briefly brighter, a pale
pink rose, under a sere moonwind.

He spreads his black wings, utterly
blocking stars, moon and sky
from her sight.

Then folds them around himself again
with a sound like a universe
of crumpling leaves.

You are free. And I ask only one thing
of you. He reaches toward her again,
opening his dark palm.

There in its center glows a small pearl,
black and glimmering.

Compelled, she steps toward him.

Accept this pearl from my heart.
When memory of me rises like the dark
of moon, and it will, this I know,
it will, hold this pearl of my pain
to your heart and think of me.
And no matter where I am, what worlds
or abysses I traverse, I will know
that I am not forgotten.

His huge hand trembles, almost closing
around his offering, but opens
at her touch, like a wilting flower.

She lifts the pearl in her insubstantial
fingers, then cradles it unsurely
in her palm, as a wind rises
like a long sigh.

When it stops, she is gone.

He raises his long face to the stars.

The only sound in the stark night grove,
a thin howling.

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The prompt this week at ONE SINGLE IMPRESSION is “Myth.” The above poem is based on a dream I had after watching a fantasy movie sequence on T.V. about the myth-like character Calibos in "Clash of the Titans." I wrote it in 1986. It came to mind when I read the prompt for this week, inspiring me to finally do the heavy revision I always knew it needed. So I am more than usually grateful for the prompts ONE SINGLE IMPRESSION offers. As always, I encourage you to give ONE SINGLE IMPRESSION a visit to see what other sorts of myths are being explored and/or created this week.

[Image: from the 1981 MGM movie "Clash of the Titans."]

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‘til next time, keep dreaming,

**** [aka: Patricia Kelly] **** If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or poems, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)****My other blogs: ROSWILA’S TAROT GALLERY & JOURNAL and ROSWILA’S TAIGA TAROT, and Yahoo DREAMJIN: Group for Dreamku – Haiku-Like Dream Poems ****