Wild Forest Boy

Wild Forest Boy
© Surazeus
2025 01 31

When finches and sparrows in maple trees 
explain strange beauty of eternity, 
Caroline pauses somewhere off the trail 
to pick liberty cap mushroom from soil 
wet from late-afternoon rain of desire 
where the pond terrapin crawls over roots. 

Brushing pile of wet pine cones to the side, 
Caroline gasps to see wild forest boy 
who stares at her with eyes blue as the sea, 
so she reaches out her hand with lace glove 
and helps him stand on wobbly legs of hope, 
then smiles and asks, "What is your secret name?" 

"My name is Pinocchio," the wild boy grins, 
then does the fancy two-step dance and bows, 
but topples over on his side again, 
so she helps him stand again on frail legs, 
then places ripe pear in his floppy hand, 
so he eats till he gains strength from its juice. 

"I feel harsh winds of autumn blow cold fear 
so I must follow leaves along the river, 
blown anywhere my heart may long to go, 
but I lay frozen in beautiful snow 
for mindless flicker of eternity." 
Pinocchio stares with no tears in his eyes. 

Taken aback by his strange sudden song, 
Caroline turns away to find the trail, 
but the small wooden boy grasps at her skirt, 
and follows stumbling as she strides away, 
so she lifts him on her hip with soft grin, 
and walks in evening breeze that blows her hair. 

"Afloat in timeless beauty of this hour," 
Pinocchio sings like twitter of the finch, 
"we seek strange wisdom in the holy flower 
that blooms from corpse of God in dreamless rain 
till blossoms of dead trees have blown away, 
and we are mute with words we fear to say." 

Stepping through door in her cottage of stone, 
nestled against steep hillside by the lake, 
Caroline sets the boy beside the table, 
but when she turns he grabs the cutting knife 
and pushes her down to tear off her dress, 
and she lies stunned in shock flat on her back. 

When he gasps done and rolls onto his back, 
Caroline leaps up and tries to escape, 
but he drags her back, so she kicks him hard, 
which hurls him stumbling in the hot hearth fire 
where he writhes screaming in fierce roar of flames 
till he vanishes into pile of ash. 

Pregnant with child of the wild forest boy, 
Caroline cautiously hunts in the woods 
each day for mushrooms, berries, eggs, and nuts, 
but nothing sinister lurks in the shadows, 
so she sits by the sparkling creek and cries 
while something strange transforms inside her womb. 

When she births son of the wild forest boy 
Caroline bears him in her trembling arms 
as she wades into the lake with intent 
to drown him in the waters of salvation, 
but he gazes at her with silver eyes, 
so she baptizes him and names him Charles.