PART THREE
What followed
In the interim
And the long time
Waiting
In the valley
Was uneventful
And now
I think it
Hardly worth telling
How suddenly
She had gone
Redundant but true
"And should I curse the poem
For taking her?"
But still
It was
And time passed—
Many days
I browsed the fields
Of poetry and forest
Mind and earth
I waited her return
Whiling the days
The sun rose and set
So many times
So slowly
I read many books
And wrote poetry
Of life
Each day I became more anxious
For her return,
The days
Too long
Then came the time
And I began to wonder
Why so long?
Has something happened?
Perhaps I should track
To the coastal cities
To search
For the lady
"No"
I thought not
"She might be traveling
The path
Even now"
I didn't want to pass her by
On separate paths
So, I waited longer
For her return
Then one morning—
Days later
As the sun shone
And the birds sang
Chipmunks chattered
Up above
"I have a speck in my eye"
I thought
"But wait
No
Something black
Circling
Slowly circling
But far
Too far above
To signify"
I waited
Curiously
Circling
and circling
and circling
Down
Closer down
Slowly closer
"I seem
To remember. . ."
Closer
And closer
And
"Yes I see it
Now
The huge black bird
Of before"
The bird circled low
And several times
Swooped close
Not far
Above my head
The huge black bird
Ghastly
Foreboding
I could see dripping
Blood
From his beak
Drip
drip
drip
"What is this, bird?
What can it mean?"
A morbid idea
Began to grip
My mind
"I see it now
I think
Bird of doom"
Again stooping
Swooping
Blood dripping
From his beak
Like a knife
From the wound
"Why?
Bird of ill omen
What is the reason?
What is the omen?"
He swooped up
Higher and higher
Becoming a black dot
And disappeared
Into the vast reaches of the sky
Turning
I went
To the cabin
To do a few things
Putting away
Books and papers
Closing windows
I read the rollin round
Again
Then put it away
I straightened
A few things more
Then through the shutting door
I went
I trailed
Down the path
Of the forest
I hurried
But not really
I was glad
To be trailing again
"We might meet one another"
I thought
"Upon this path
Perhaps just ahead
Around that bend
She is walking now"
I continued on
Trailing
The path
The forest
Still
The same forest
Seeming
Only a shade darker
With the shadow of the bird
Hanging over
I journeyed
Toward the village
Hoping there
To hear good news
Or at least
News
At times
Pessimism
Beset me
At other times
I was optimistic
But still the path
Winding
Gnarling
Up and down
Weaving
In and out
And over
Fallen logs
On
And on
Time lapsed slowly
upon the path
And the forest
Always the same
With peering life
Skittering to and fro
But came the day
When rounding a bend
And through a forest
There stood the house
The statue
And the village
Below
I hurried on
To the house
The standing memorial
On to the house
The old man
On the porch
Her uncle
Rocking
Quietly rocking
Stepping
I came closer
To the porch
Greeting
The old man
I sat down
And curiously—anxiously
I asked
About the lady
We talked
A long while
And I asked
Many questions
He told a story
And I listened
To the words—
The light faded
As he finished
Below
The village
Silent
A few wisps of smoke
Rising from chimneys
A few dogs
Barking
In the distance
Down
A silent village
I rose
And walked away
I thought of the words,
The story
I pondered
I regressed
And I remembered
The time
And the love
She and I
Had had
Together
I reminisced
Memories
And I knew
That that
Was all
We would ever have
I climbed the path
And I walked
To the ledge
I sat upon
Where she and I
Hand in hand
Once sat
Overlooking the house
Overlooking the village
And there
I sat
Watching again
The old man's face
Telling the story
He told
Of her journey
To the most powerful
Of the coastal cities
She had met many people
And made
Many friends
They had given her
Food and shelter
She had given them
Love—
A fair trade
She had talked
On the plains,
In the halls,
Upon the beach
First
The groups were small
Then larger
Many people came
To see her
To listen
To her words
Of wisdom
Teaching love
And peace
Even the General,
Ruler of the city,
And his daughter
Had listened
To the lady
All agreed
(Except greed)
With the lady—
Peace is the path
To happiness
The General was interested,
And his daughter
Went to many
Of the talks
She became a friend of the lady
—an elegant speaker
All went well
With the lady's mission
She would stay
Awhile longer
Then
Journey back
To the mountains
But
All the while
Evil is the plot
Black plans
To form the scheme
Greed
Bleeding the soul
To bring forth
The deeds
Of avarice
Darkness of night
In the day
Dimming light
In life
And the victims
Cry in pain
"Where is the light—
Where is the peace?"
But the shadow oppresses
And the joyous mode
Gives way to suffering
Blackness enters
The world of the lady
Like a bayonet
To rend life
From the brain
Jab jab
Lunge
Thrust
From the War Corporation
Birth of arms
Death of babes
Machine guns, grenades
(Let us drop a bomb
And murder a hundred thousand people
Or a million - why not?
Men and women
And especially the babies
And children - how wonderful!)
Tanks, jets
Submarines, battle ships
Etc.
And latest
And greatest
The antigrav ship
With broad range laser destruction units
Call forth
And hire
Your shadows in the night—
The economy
Must be protected
Send forth
And destroy
The light of peace
Convince the General
To turn a deaf ear,
A blind eye
Protect the destiny
Of the War Corporation
Think not
Of life
But the purpose
And greed of death
A small group on the beach
Joy at dusk
Becomes black
And the daughter
Present
The lady
Oh God
Where is your light
To reverse
The shadows
Of the night?
Prey,
Two shadows stalk—
Fools,
Pray to God instead—
Know you not
The balance
Of justice?
The lady
Is killed—
Her body
Flung
To the sea
I must cry
But cannot—
She would not approve
The daughter
Wailed
And mourned her death
The people of the city
Cried
And mourned her death
The daughter
And the weeping city
Called out to the General,
They showed him the deed,
But indeed
He could not hear
He could not see
Perhaps
He wept inside
But
It is
For the good
Of his people
The economy
Will prosper
(While the people
Hide in bomb shelters
And fear
For loved ones—
Some never seen again)
The wars continue,
The clamor for peace
Dies
The city is normal
Again
"And now"
I thought
"Hers is the sceptered coffin of the sea
Of tides and pounding waves—
A dark and watery tomb"
It didn't seem possible
It didn't seem real
She had said that soon
We would be together
Again
Still
I sat
Overlooking
As darkness filled my world
But I did not torment
Nor wail
Nor moan,
It was not her way
To overreact—
'Pay the debt,
Then live on'
So,
I was not sad,
I looked
Searching
And to the heavens
To find a ray
Of light—
"I see no light"
I thought
Instead
The heavens were dark
Ominous
And foreboding
I stood up
On the ledge
And looked back to the house
The village—
Something wet and fluid
Clouded my eye
"I fear
A storm is near
Approaching
I feel something wet
Upon my cheeks
Away
Away
I shall away
My mind grows dark
And
Everything appears as shadows
Black
But where is the thunder?
Lightening?
Black
Nothing appears
Nor sees
Everything is. . .
But wait!
Weight!
Oh hear it now
Like the pallbearer
At a funeral
Whisper singing a song of leisure
The voice screams out
At me
Why now
This time of times
Oh God
The voice of Ad Infinitum
Hear it"