Road Of Paramo

Road Of Paramo
© Surazeus
2024 12 18

Peter Paradise drives red pick up truck 
on thousand-mile road across the waste land, 
passing the same sign every hundred miles 
with the name Paramo, that points the way 
with misdirection through the spiral maze 
to world amusement park of Wonderland. 

When he arrives at last in Wonderland, 
after ten thousand generations of sons, 
who each had spent their century-long lives 
driving the Road of Paramo through Hell, 
Peter Paradise parks in the empty lot 
and walks in his snake-skin boots to the booth. 

Dafne, the oldest woman in the world, 
covered with black widow spiders, extends 
withered hand to give him ticket he bought, 
so he walks in snake-skin boots and large hat 
past crowds of ghosts waiting in line for rides, 
people who suffered all their lives as slaves. 

Ignoring frantic music of the rides, 
ferris wheels, carousels, and roller coasters 
that spin and spin with fortune of grim fate, 
Peter Paradise searches for the tent 
where the Serpent Woman in cage of glass 
sings siren tunes that drive people insane. 

On stage in Theater of the Blind Horse 
Serpent Woman dances to eerie music 
while King Midas, wearing blue business suit 
and red cape, demonstrates his magic power 
of turning all he touches into gold, 
till he turns the entire crowd into idols. 

Just as King Midas reaches out his hand 
to grasp throat of Serpent Woman with greed, 
Peter Paradise declares with soft voice 
causing mountains to shake with respect 
that his reign of terror exploiting hope 
will end when Bear Girl takes his jeweled crown. 

Sweeping Serpent Woman into his arms 
with whirling leap of superior wit, 
Peter Paradise rescues her with love, 
bearing his bride in maze of Wonderland 
deeper down levels to cave of illusions 
where she transforms from serpent into human. 

Holding each other close with loyal love, 
both Peter Paradise and Serpent Woman 
spread one wing each and fly into the sky, 
then glide gracefully over maze of myths 
to land by River Styx in Elysium 
where they operate their strawberry farm.