Obscure Woods Of Hope

Obscure Woods Of Hope
© Surazeus
2026 07 25

Jortha tells Thor she is looking for Death 
because she wants to give him chocolate cake, 
but when she arrives in Folkvanger field 
she finds Freya lounging bored in Valhalla, 
so she talks to the owl in the oak tree 
about the strange value of traffic lights. 

Startled by luminous phantom of fate 
who beams down on escalator of light 
from black clouds of emotional turmoil, 
Jortha wanders in obscure woods of hope 
where she meets red-haired fox man in long robe 
who tells her his name is Elysius. 

When wild-haired fox man with electric eyes 
grasps her arms and asks her for help to find 
elusive butterfly of love, she smiles 
and guides him down to Valley of Dry Bones 
where Ezekiel resurrects skeletons 
from grateful dead who dance in acid rain. 

Among the screaming trees of suicides, 
Jortha leads Elysius to the glass tower 
where Roland and Rapunzel live in peace, 
creating collages of mythic tales 
from pictures they cut out of magazines 
which they display on cracked telephone poles. 

Hand over hand with courage of the fool, 
Jortha and Elysius, now deep in love, 
climb steep icy slopes of the Matterhorn 
where they relax beneath the Tumtum tree 
and watch the Jabberwock swoop on fae wings 
while they discuss weird formulas of fate. 

When Jortha stares at beauty of her face 
that shimmers in pool where Narcissus drowned, 
Elysius wrestles demon of despair 
to break her free from trance of bitter fear, 
then takes her hand to run down signless road 
to desert town where Glow Cloud looms bright gold. 

Heart revived by apricity of love, 
shy Jortha gathers from Elysian Fields 
mushrooms and eggs of serpents in deep caves, 
then asks Ceridwen to brew Wisdom Wine 
while old Taliesin in huge vine-draped stoa 
teaches Elysius how to play the lyre. 

Hitchhiking sea to shining sea on tour, 
Jortha stands on stage in every town hall 
and sings grand epic of philosophers 
while Elysius plays Lyre of Mercury, 
till one day as they drive in Tennessee 
they die when red truck crashes in their car.