Dark Feverish Dream

Dark Feverish Dream
© Surazeus
2024 03 04

Coughing as she stumbles by sparkling stream, 
Ellen sways dizzy from buzz in her head, 
then falls to her knees, and curls on her side, 
shivering among tall purple thistle spikes 
as high gold hill fades into blurry smudge, 
and she sinks into dark feverish dream. 

As lithe stub-tailed cat with long monkey hands, 
Ellen crouches against the jagged rock 
while plucking raspberries from tangled vines, 
then shrieks at sight of the tall wolf-bear man, 
and sprints when he chases her as he snarls, 
so she skitters up the giant oak tree. 

Huddled in shelter of bird-woven nest, 
Ellen breathes deep to calm her beating heart, 
but freezes in horror of wretched fear 
as hundreds of large spiders with red legs 
swarm over her body when large black crow 
swoops at her face to eat the slowest spider. 

Eyes gleaming bright in the silver moonlight, 
Ellen leaps across broad canopy of leaves, 
where others of her tribe with long tails fly 
with graceful elegance up the hill slope, 
but with her stubby tail she tumbles down 
and splashes in large pond of putrid algae. 

Gasping for breath as she struggles to rise 
and extract her writhing body from muck, 
Ellen desperately reaches to grasp vine 
just beyond clutch of her trembling fingers, 
then three crocodiles with sharp gleaming teeth 
and yellow snake eyes race to eat her first. 

Screaming in horror as she thrashes arms, 
Ellen feels hand reach down from gleaming sky 
to grab her hand and pull her from despair, 
so she looks up into round gold-furred face 
of Michael who hugs her close to his chest, 
then climbs up vine while she clings to his heart. 

Cuddling in large nest he lined with bird feathers, 
Ellen and Michael eat peaches and nuts, 
then make love with compassionate desire 
as she gazes at stream of sparkling stars, 
then gasps when the large meteor blazing bright 
streaks across the stars and explodes her heart. 

Snapping awake on the moist river shore, 
Ellen sits up by the cold sparkling stream, 
her long dress soaked after she sweat for hours, 
then drinks clear water to refresh her soul, 
and continues on to the market town, 
puzzling over strange vision of her dream.