Dreaming within a far off plane where dreams themselves begin,
slumbers a beauty whose curse persists nary in the hearts of men.
Afflicted by malevolence distorted to become the fruitless lust for love.
Where her bassinet, that bends and curves along her fragile frame,
incarcerates these wrathful fantasies ‘till alas they become mockery.
‘Tis where, neither here nor there, the beauty is confined to dreams,
behind the colossal stone-walls of her castle that she herself constructed.
Twisting vines, as dark as the sky, slither between the decayed apertures.
Complimenting an odd allure that has drawn so many wanderers in.
Yet, such journey must they undertake to ‘ventually reach the keep.
Aye, thy shade, whom hath kept me warm yet blinded me in bleakness; dark.
Whom hast guided me to the gates of this wondrous place sightless.
As rancid as bodies I smell the torment thick upon the air and tongue,
yet my flickering eyes see naught but the senses where they fail to perceive.
For once I sauntered inside, as she welcomed me to cross, I lost my vision.
I queried, “Where are you?” to which no reply I heard thus I fumbled and fell,
as I made my passage through the gates and walls of her perpetual hell.
I sought to find my princess somewhere inside to lift her maledictive spell.
From just that distant visage of her glorious kingdom before my sight had failed,
I knew, with no suspicion, my ardent love of adorning intent was hers to be held.
Fingers extended to their entire length I felt, by gentle touch, my way within.
‘Till at last I reached the colossal tower, looming gloomily high above,
where my beauty, my princess, slept miserably in damp sorrow absent of hope.
I cheered myself for having made it to this place with only thy shade to see.
Then I hurried up the frigid steps to my flawless lover in pursuit to set her free.
A door greeted my advance at the top of the stairs hastily placing me at a halt.
Before me its battered semblance stilled me as I was now able to look upon it,
from the subtle shadows of light flailing from several torches placed at its side.
I could sense her breath, from graceful inhale to mournful depart, in the chill,
where then I noted no handle nor knob would allow my joy to transpierce.
I called, “Dear princess, I hath voyaged for your heart and to cure your ailment.”
To which I heard her sweet voice reply, “You hath made it farther than any other,
however kind gentleman there is no farther you may come. For this hex I possess,
cannot be broken nor cured. Not by your love nor by your intent. I am forever dead.
Allow me to rest till fate decides the door before you may open to allow my curse to cease.”
Thus I took my pause for a mere moment to muse before my lips broke again,
“Dear Princess, what is it you hope to hear from the tongues of fate if not by this?
If no other hath made it to your door then surely this must have been their intent.
I would not have come if I wished to wake you before your hex could be lifted.
If this is your door allow it open so that you may allow my love to liberate you.”
Hesitant seconds elapsed as cautious creeks reverberated from her walls,
as the door took several minutes to at last reveal the chamber of my beloved.
Oh, how not even my fantasy could justify the woman before my wanting body.
Then in ravenous embrace we took in one another from our eternal longing.
Not God nor nature define how momentous our beings took new shape.
Alas I whispered into her trembling ears, “Let us leave now or forever fear our neglect,
and may the Gods never forgive us if we object.” Thus with her assurance to her,
conscient we left her lonely chamber behind in revitalized bliss.
Once our feet met the gelid stoney steps my familiar shade stole our eyes,
where then the heat of her hand turned to mine and be began our descent.
How could I nor her ever had expected the foundations of her dreams,
would begin to reject us? For the walls and paths I had so easily discovered,
transformed into devilish labyrinths brimmed with horrors to inflict her with terror.
Never before had her soul traversed beyond her immortal chamber door,
and the dream dreamt so long evolved into her least favorite nightmare.
With only the reminders of our flesh coalescing between fingers and perspiring palm,
and our eyes whom hath forsaken us ‘till we passed across the threshold of the gates,
my dearest lover became uncertain with every quickened step we’d take.
My assurances were slowly disregarded as mistakes as I felt her fingers unhinge,
one at a time into the darkness that suffocated our love inside its lake.
I called out to her, begging, “We will make it, love, and we will again see,
the light of day upon this place when it has become so far away; trust this.”
To which her morose reply was this, “I have never been this far, love. Now,
I believe I wasn’t meant to have this curse taken from my mortal life. Look,
upon the walls erected about us. They are beckoning for my dolor to remain.”
Which words that fell from her to the threatening floor collapsing beneath our steps,
took root in her quivering feet that stood in the blackness where I could not see.
Thy shade, thy charge, and thy love had all abandoned my pleas and will.
Though regardless of my blossoming affections I could not move her still.
Thus left with no device or magic to tear away at the walls I lost her inside them.
Regretfully I found the passage out of her castle staring back at its reforming structure.
The gates violently closed behind my hope forbidding my return to their treasure.
Now the walls seemed endless stretching desperately toward some empyrean elysium.
Here, neither there nor where, my existence persists just beyond her citadel,
hoping that someday perhaps the gates shall open and my beloved will find her way out.