Forest of the Laughing Crow

Forest of the Laughing Crow
© Surazeus
2026 07 01

With dignity of his royal bloodline, 
Jacobus strolls with sacred map of truths 
alone in forest of the laughing crow 
with mission to find jewel of the heart 
that translates secret thoughts to honest words 
so he can understand how people feel. 

When he approaches castle on the hill, 
where beautiful woman with long gold hair 
sings in small window of the lofty tower, 
Jacobus asks old Petrus at the gate 
if he may enter paradise with faith 
and woo Johanna with the golden fruit. 

Amazed by ghost of electricity 
that glimmers as bone mask hiding her face, 
Jacobus climbs winding stairway to Heaven 
after opening ninety thousand doors 
in endless maze of mental fantasy 
till he finds Garden of Hesperides. 

He longs to taste sweet immortality 
that drips from delicate lips of her heart, 
but Johanna hides behind veil of faith 
by asking riddles about ways of love 
that only the Sphinx with star eyes would know, 
but he answers each one with clever verse. 

While gazing in bronze mirror of her heart 
to question how her choices make her fate, 
Johanna sees gold crown shine on her head 
that transforms into boy with raven quill 
who writes epic poem of philosophers, 
so she accepts Jacobus in her heart. 

White horse of wisdom with angelic wings 
glides gracefully in hills of swirling mist 
to bear Johanna safely to star cave 
where she wears Crown of Scotia on her head 
to reign as glorious Queen of Fairyland 
whose children journey far across the sea. 

On bonnie shores of Loch Lomond at dawn, 
Jacobus and Johanna teach their son 
how to investigate nature of things 
with ardent observation of the eye 
that measures strengths and weaknesses of forms 
described by parables our brains compose. 

You are my shining compass with bright eyes, 
Johanna sings to boy with beaming smile 
who tries to comfort her loss-anguished heart 
as they kneel by Jacobus on the grass, 
assassinated by cruel greed for power, 
as apple tree blooms from his bleeding heart.