Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Ballad Of Apple And Star

Ballad Of Apple And Star
© Surazeus
2018 06 13

Out under the oldest tree in the world
the blind girl who survived hot fire plays flute
carved from the wing of the demon of death.

The boy who killed the man who killed his father
runs a thousand miles, searching for the cave
where his mother taught him the names of stars.

But halfway there he arrives at her tree
and stands alone beside her in the mist,
enchanted by the sorrow of her tune.

Aching with hunger at horror of death,
the blind girl drops the bone flute in cold mud
then leans against the tree and weeps from fear.

Kneeling by the river of bitter tears,
the boy claws at the blank mask of the world
to find the potato of the black moon.

"Whoever you are, tell me your real name,"
the girl whispers into the empty gloom,
"because I keep falling off the fragile world."

Baking the potato after dawn rain,
the boy takes her hand and helps her to sit
on the stone over the heart of the world.

"I threw away the name my father gave me,"
the boy explains to her sun-glowing face,
"because he raped the girl I was to marry."

Eating the baked potato by the river,
the blind girl touches the shape of his face,
and for one moment sees light through his eyes.

Startled by the vision of blinding light,
the boy touches her face scarred by the fire,
and blushes when the girl kisses his mouth.

"I was tending the garden with my mother,"
the blind girl smiles while caressing his hand,
"when men on horses carried her away."

Falling down the empty void of her eyes,
the boy holds her hand to steady his heart
that beats fast as the hoofs of running horses.

"My father tried to rescue her from slavery,
but they bound him to the cross of our church
and burned our village down to heaps of ash."

Holding the fire-black skull in her left hand,
the blind girl leans close to his tear-soaked face
and smells the scent of Geraniums on his skin.

"My heart aches with the sorrow of their loss,
so I must sit here for ten thousand years
till my heart fills the ocean with my tears."

Caressing her long hair, wet from cool mist,
the boy kisses her mouth, shoulder, and breast,
then holds her in his warm arms while she sighs.

Down under the oldest tree in the world,
the hunted boy makes love with the blind girl,
and their souls become one flash in the mist.

Holding her hand, the boy leads the blind girl
walking along the river in weird mist,
across the plain to the lush mountain range.

Arriving at the cave in hidden valley,
where his mother taught him the names of stars,
the boy leads her into shadow of love.

"I was born and raised in this secret cave,
so I will place the skull of your good father
in this nook beside the skull of my mother."

Placing the bone flute in her trembling hand,
the boy brews apples into cider sauce
which fills their hearts with sweet joy of the sun.

Nestled in the secure arms of the lost boy,
the blind girl plays enchanting melodies
like twittering birds that flap their wings in trees.

Caressing her belly that swells with child,
the blind girl smiles, "I will give you new name,
Apple, because you give me food to eat."

Embracing pregnant girl on his warm lap,
the lost boy smiles, "I will give you new name,
Star, because your light guided me back home."

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