Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 19)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 19) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

Flap, fuss, feathered rumpus,

Then snafus abruptly ended.

Back to flocks upon dark rocks,

Amongst the mass they blended.

~

Yet four remained as if restrained –

 Compelled or obligated,

At cardinal points about the crack,

Which lightening had created.

~

Stood East of me; West of he,

A Raven black and bold.

As dark as night but in this light,

Feathered purple, blue and gold.

~

His piercing stare laid me bare,

His eyes probed my soul,

Twas if he weighed the heart of me,

Or measured me as a whole.

~

Though squinting into brightening haze,

I unflinching held his gaze: and

Whilst no fear or troubling doubt,

Seeds of unease began to sprout.

~

When then again a shrilling chirp:

High upon the sunlit scarp.

From her perch on warming stones,

Revealing words, melodic tones.

~

“Tethers severed, spells untied,”

“Like brume,” she said, “Sentinels rise.”

“Sentries of Secrets, Stewards of Stones,

Guardians of Relics, Keepers of Bones.”

~

She paused briefly, albeit fleetingly,

Her song noted with mirth.

I attentively, listened carefully,

Eager for words of worth.

~ 

“In days of yore, beneath this shore:

An Age fabled in rhyme,

A sapient Sage with benign intent,

Found an ancient shrine.”

~

“Twas hidden deep at tunnel’s end,

A chamber hewn by hand,

From the shore a passage led,

Through sandstone rock inland.”

~

“At its core an upright block,

A stela of meteoric rock,

Precisely chiselled, polished, pristine,

Upon it carved, ‘Beholder’s Dream.”

~

“Enshrined behind this centre piece,

Within a crevice, between a crease,

Articles of virtu, objet d’art,

Sooth for a Sage’s spiritual heart.”

~

“There he practiced, honed his craft,

Learnt mystical ways, esoteric Arts.

Guided always in his endeavour,

By arcane texts, ineffable treasure.”

~

“Long years passed until at last,

His sagacity was unsurpassed.

More puissant than all who’d come before,

He the Raven called Nevermore!”

~

Silence lingered, when then she cried,

“Walk!” She urged, “be by his side.”

“The way is clear, dispel your fear,”

“Stride-on,” said she, “become the Seer.”

~*~

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 18) precedes this post. Part 20 to follow shortly ~

~*~

Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 18)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 18) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

A cliffy crescent enclosed this bay,

East to West, curved each way,

To tapered ends sloping away,

Trailing into briny blue.

~

Tinting their tops, evergreen dell,

Candy glazed, greyness quelled.

Silhouetted trees, rouge rubbed leaves,

 Foliage flush with blush.

~

Yet fleetly flittering dewy pink rose,

Sweetly deposed by mellow,

A sallow light, weak and wan,

Skies awash with yellow.

~

Drab and drear upon the sheer,

Gleamed a flaxen sheen,

Dim and grim upon the scree,

Quickly fled the scene.

~

Across the bay shadow scurried,

Behind boulders shade hurried,

Hastened, hounded, harried on,

Mercilessly chased by waxen sun.

~

Not yet cresting cliffy peaks: but,

Rising steadily soon to peep,

Soon to illume gloaming gloom,

Rouse Stygian from deep sleep.

~

At talus top, my brightened mount,

Sat in wonderment, gazing out,

I felt displaced, but yet embraced,

Interlaced within this special place.

~

Inseparable was I from waking dream,

More than just a perfect scene,

It stirred me in ways most curious,

Left me heady, delirious.

~

Full to brimming, senses swimming,

Drinking-in the view,

Dank wet-through with heavy dew,

Soon drunk on nature’s brew.

~

When then within my dreaminess,

A memory, vague and nebulous,

As if an echo from long ago,

Had burrowed deep inside.

~

I felt so sure I knew this shore,

Twas more than evocation: yet,

This not the view it’d been before,

But a weathered approximation.

~

Quickly, quickly, in rapid succession,

Thoughts flowed in quick procession:

A magical mage, a secret shrine,

Murderous intent, an abandoned mine.

~

I had no need to pause and ponder,

Only to muse upon my wonder,

For wonder it was, this revelation:

Exchanging mystery for illumination.

~

But yet, neither resolved nor crystal clear,

Questions remained unanswered here.

What was the source of these sudden notions,

That deeply stirred my emotions?

~

Surprised perhaps, but not perturbed,

A voice inside me softly heard,

I recognised her songbird chime,

The soulful beat of Nightingale’s rhyme.

~

“Watch and wait my dear Seer,

Soon all doubt will disappear.

When magic flows you will know,

What is to see before thee.”

~

And so it was without surprise,

Atop the scree ‘neath dawning skies,

I sat in awe as flocks of birds,

Made haste towards the bay.

~

Skuas, Shags, and Razorbills,

Spilled upon the shore,

Gannets, Gulls and Guillemots,

Frenetic with furore.

~

Gathered at a point beyond the rocks,

Shrieking, flapping around,

As if encircling something unseen,

Something upon the ground.

~

But this wasn’t fever of frenzied birds,

Hungry, driven to feasting.

Snip! Snip! Snip! Scissoring threads,

Twas Sentinels they were releasing!

~*~

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 17) precedes this post. Part 19 to follow shortly ~

~*~

Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 17)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 17) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

Darkness steeped in deep of sleep,

Twas last hour before the dawn,

West-wind blew, warm and true,

Encouraged a new day born.

~

Sensuous calm pervaded the shore –

A cackling Crow, but nothing more.

As if obeying ancient lore: sunrise

Was what life waited for.

~

No shroud of cloud or misty veil,

Venus glistered on wet shale.

She pearled in pools radiant jewels,

Her presence here palpable.

~

Indeed, tide had turned, ebbed away,

Grumbling still in tumbling play,

Quiet beyond the briny bight,

Beyond the reef, out of sight.

~

From my cosy I’d risen slowly,

Stepped stumbling across the strand,

To where a talus of tumbled rock,

 Lay fanned upon the sand.

~

Scrambling me scattering scree,

Until at height from the floor,

Better placed when daylight chased,

Shadows from sea-shore.

~

Upon a wedge of weathered stone,

Deep in thought, sat alone,

My spirit feathered, my heart untethered,

Unfettered in flighty reverie.

~

Soon clear to me I wasn’t alone –

No longer singular I,

For I resided undivided, in Love,

With one on high.

~

There Venus shone a sorceress star,

Spinning spells spilled from afar,

Soul-to-soul with me was she,

My celestial queen for eternity.

~

“I am the passion in your heart.

The fiery flame at each new start.

A wandering star just like thee,

Consort and guide, follow me.”

~

Breaking my dream a shrilling cry,

A flock of gulls hastened by,

Upon miry sand they quickly settled,

Amongst claggy rocks quietly nestled.

~

Gazing east towards the sun,

Soon to guild curved horizon,

There night skies already fading,

Traded gloom for lighter shading.

~

First one splinter then a crack,

Drapes of night drawing back,

Swiftly now darkness weakened,

In its stead brightness sweetened,.

~

Licks of light slick and bright,

Flecks of peach and tangerine,

Saffron hues spliced Prussian blues,

As morn’ awoke from dream.

~

A way away across the bay,

Atop sea-cliffs cast iron grey,

On razor edges, perilous ledges,

Rough ridges rendered rose.

~*~

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 16) precedes this post. Part 18 to follow shortly ~

~*~

Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 14)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 14) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

Beating retreat, flaming less bolder,

Dampened ash, smoking smoulder,

Wisps and whirls and hoary purls,

Swirled about the figure curling.

~

A furtive glimpse quickly stolen,

This flaring fiend from fire woven,

Feathers furled, glistered golden,

Rippled as if molten motion.

~

Twas spectral without solidity.

An entity with lucidity,

A translucent vision, an apparition,

An ethereal being beyond description.

~

It stood or floated, perhaps it hovered,

Black in body, face covered –

A formless shape in cloak or cape,

Shifting, drifting in the breeze.

~

Tho’ briefly seen thro’ fire’s sheen –

Beyond a screen of rising thermal,

I had no doubt what looked out,

Nothing less than paranormal.

~

Compelled to gawp, gape and gaze,

Across the sand thro’ dying blaze,

I watched the spectre turn its head,

In my direction its leer was led.

~

I knew it saw me, I felt its glare:

Stabbing with its piercing stare,

Seized by eyes that were not there,

I was entrapped, ensnarled, ensnared.

~

Fervid fear in my stomach pit,

Bit with bile, dried my spit,

Ill at ease without my wits,

I hunkered down ‘neath rock parapet.

~

I shot quick glance across the bay:

A place of refuge to make my way,

But alas! Only towering cliffs of grey,

Surrounded the cove ascending away.

~

Stalled and stilled, static, inert,

Fingers raked through dampened dirt –

In hope of bough or sturdy staff,

Something solid to defend myself.

~

Yet barren about me upon the sand,

No robust tool came to hand,

Frantic was I when in my sight,

Came creeping tendrils of waxen light.

~

These pallid blooms probing gloom,

Opaque at first grew brighter,

Until in fact ‘tween every crack,

Shone shafts of light ever whiter.

~

Where umbra hid behind my boulder,

Soon bathed in light, blazing bolder –

Darkness illumed, shade consumed,

My shadow set in silhouette.

~

So sudden before me towering tall,

The spectral form of this faceless ghoul,

Stood staring down upon my crown,

As fear further fed my dread.

~

But yet, I sensed no menace or malevolence,

No prevalence of maleficence,

Instead a palpable benevolence –

A quality of graceful elegance.

~*~

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 13) precedes this post. Part 15 to follow shortly ~

~*~

Copse ‘N’ Corpse (Part 13)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 13) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

Rain fell lashing in puddles splashing,

Whilst sea surged dashing rocks: but,

One moment tender paused to linger,

Soft lips interlocked.

~

Posed embracing whilst he bracing,

Pulled her closer still.

As if as one, both overcome,

Tears begun to spill.

~

About his hand her fingers curled,

In which his precious heart was held,

“Come what may,” I heard her say,

“Together forever night and day.”

~

A way away upon high land,

In reach of us upon low sand,

A bell sung-out the hour at hand:

Sending forth its one demand.

~

“Come my love, we can’t delay,”

“Perpetuity exists beyond the grey,”

“Our time has come, we must be gone,”

“Spirited far, far away.”

~

Closer still, now limpet tight,

Entwined upon this stormy night,

In yearning to escape their plight,

She moved her hand to make it right.

~

His withered heart from cloth unrolled,

B’twixt black sack, poke of old,

Placed in a space with tender care,

Nightingale eased his aching despair.

~

Wide-eyed was I, and so entranced,

This lurid love an exquisite romance.

I dared not blink, for if by chance,

I missed their changing circumstance.

~

Twas then a flash of jagged light,

A flailing chord lightning white,

Lit bright the dark of darkly night,

Blinded me, blurred my sight.

~

That searing bolt of brilliant hue,

Raced at pace, fast and true,

Struck both lovers still infused,

Bored deep into the floor.

~

Bedrock shattered, fragments scattered,

Sand fused as glassine,

Never before in all my yore

Had I witnessed such a scene!

~

So sudden was this manifestation:

This pyrotechnic aberration,

With thunder came conflagration,

Scorching heat, decimation!

~

Air dense with dirt, dust, debris,

With flame and smoke engulfing me,

I was lifted-up, blown-around,

Thrown down hard on sodden ground.

~

Dazed, confused, battered, bruised,

Breathless, pale with shock,

Slipping, sliding, intent on hiding,

I scrambled to the rocks.

~

Slumped behind a craggy boulder,

I chanced quick glance across my shoulder,

To where beyond the blistering blaze,

A shadow loomed in rippling haze.

~*~

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 12) precedes this post. Part 14 to follow shortly ~

~*~

~ Artwork by Dewin Nefol ~

~*~

Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 12)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 12) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

Thunder-clapped, tumultuous applause,

Gods raged above sand shores,

Air sizzled, rain drizzled,

Lightning seared swelled sea.

~

Anvil headed storm-cloud stacks,

Night squeezed ‘tween black cracks,

In darkness shared with dark company,

Nevermore reached tentatively.

~

Woody tips touched mort-cloth strips:

 Grasped gently at the bundle,

Nightingale squeaked, urgency piqued,

Overhead thunder rumbled.

~

Twas as if he held a priceless gift:

An item o so precious.

Cradling his savaged heart,

Left him o so breathless.

~

He paused for a moment, head titled,

Hand stilted unbinding rag:

As if in peeling, unwrapping, revealing,

Disclosure made him sad.

~

I knew so little of his fate,

Nor of his days of life: but yet,

Twas plain to see in each degree,

His suffering, his sorrow, his strife.

~

I sensed his misgiving, his acute unease,

Tho’ certain was I he’d be appeased.

Yet each turn of cloth he moved farther,

His demeanour deepened ever darker.

~

“My fate,” said he, “a pitiful end,”

“So sudden, stabbed with pain.”

“Such gloom consumes this heavy heart,”

“Would I desire to feel it again?”

~

“Yes yes my love,” Nightingale said,

“But sweet is our memory.”

“Dread being dead can’t hurt us now,”

“Together for eternity.”

~

She flapped and flew to his hand,

Perched resting on a finger,

She looked at he so lovingly,

Before once more a singer.

~ 

“Neath deep sea life lay drowned,”

“In mort-cloth was your heart enwound,”

“But to my heart your love is bound,”

“For in my soul your soul is found.”

~

“So near,” she sung, “so nearly free,”

“Feel the love I have for thee.”

“Come my love, journey with me,”

“Beyond the stars to infinity.”

~

I heard her mutter, watched her flutter,

Quickly she flew my view.

When then of a sudden, no-longer hidden,

As a ghost she returned hitherto.

~

More beautiful than I first recalled,

Ethereal as a Luna-moth,

Crouched on sand she took his hand,

Teased away stained cloth.

~

Timed just right, a lightening strike,

As to his lips she pressed her own.

“Don’t be afraid,” she softly sung,

“Tis time to come on home.”

~*~

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 11) precedes this post. Part 13 to follow shortly ~

~*~

Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 11)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 11) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

For an hour or more upon seashore,

Huddled near haggard rocks,

Beneath full bloom of a silvery Moon,

Beholding the metal box.

~

Nevermore hadn’t moved,

Nor had he said a word,

Lips tight-stitched, gaze transfixed,

As was the lyrical bird.

~

He looked at peace but underneath,

I knew he was perturbed.

Inside he fumed, his thoughts consumed,

By all that had occurred.

~

In rage-wet eyes bitterness lingered,

In balled fists anger hungered,

Long lost years spilt as tears:

Damp tracts on hessian sack.

~

At length he turned, looked at me,

His face devoid of misery,

In its stead a smile had spread,

Spread glinting in his eyes.

~

He bowed his head in gratitude,

Removed his gunny hood,

“One thing more I ask of you,”

Then slowly rose and stood.

~

Between his robes of plastic clothes,

He reached a woody hand.

A short crowbar with chamfered tip,

Was placed upon the sand.

~

“Please,” he said, “prise the box,”

“I have no strength to do it.”

“Slowly, slowly if you please,”

“My heart, do not tear it.”

~

And so it was I set about,

My task an assiduous affair:

Gently probing ‘tween seams corroding,

Jamming the jemmy with care.

~

Minutes passed when then at last,

Box and lid separated.

Although enclosed was not exposed,

Twas a moment long awaited.

~

The silent Chat sat no more,

Fluttered feathers and to the floor,

Flew to view what lay in store,

Inside the metal box.

~

Eager, excited, indeed delighted,

Unburdened of her pity,

She cooed to embolden Nevermore,

Trilled an enchanting ditty.

~

He adoring gazed down at her,

She gazed up at him,

Then carefully he raised the lid,

To see what lay within.

~

A bundle bound in oilskin rag,

Wrapped inside a mort-cloth bag,

Lay betwixt two rustic roods,

In an open box of wood.

~

When then a sound from all around,

As if a quiet humming,

Feint at first, grew and grew,

Became a thunderous drumming!

~*~

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 10) precedes this post. Part 12 to follow shortly ~

~*~

Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 10)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 10) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

Fingers of light scything bright,

Cool mist upon the sea,

A golden glaze through wispy haze,

Reached-out to welcome me.

~

Stroke by stroke I made my way,

Slowly, slowly towards the bay,

In my wake undulating grey,

Fumed at my trespass.

~ 

Soft sand at last between my toes,

Firm ground, a rocky shore.

Upon the beach I sat me down,

To one side laid Nevermore.

~

A way away a tolling buoy,

Feint echo of a bell,

Faded, fading, evaporating,

Fell silent in briny swell.

~

Tired, overcome, exhausted, undone,

Sore eyes saw nothing more.

Sprawled on sand, safe on land,

Soon asleep upon the shore.

~

For an age I slept in warming sun,

 Adrift in curious dreams:

Untethered, untied, like a boat afloat,

Or a mote borne on jet-streams.

~*~

I awoke ‘neath a cloak of shimmering stars,

Glinting on brocade and crewel,

Each shone bright with crystallised light,

Each was a glistening jewel.

~

Moths and Loons hailed the Moon:

Selene a hoary orb,

The bay alive with silvered life,

In her light were absorbed.

~

One large Moth black as night,

Spiralled down in my sight,

It came to land on-top of rocks,

Close beside the metal box.

~

I saw it settle, raise dark wings,

Lift its head, heard it sing,

It called to others close nearby,

A quiet lament for one who’d died.

~

Before my eyes, to my surprise,

Through an eclipse of flutter-by’s,

Darkness shifted, a shadow drifted,

A hooded figure stood tall.

~

Tall and slight, dark as night,

No robes or clothes around him:

Instead four-bags tied with string,

Were tightly bound to wooden limbs.

~

In his hand perched Nightingale,

Sat silent without lament,

Both he and she gazed longingly,

Knowing of the box’s content.

~

Removing his hat the Scarecrow sat,

Sat crossed-legged upon dry sand,

Swift and true Nightingale flew,

Flew to land on my hand.

~*~

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 9) precedes this post. Part 11 to follow shortly ~

~*~

Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 9)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 9) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

Freeing tight choke of binding ropes,

I brushed aside dirt and debris,

With padlock sighted, I delighted,

Reaching for Nightingale’s key.

~

My body shook, fingers fumbled,

Numbness harried my hand,

Slowly inserting, mechanism turning,

Box unlocked upon the sand!

~

But rusted, encrusted, tightly sealed,

It wouldn’t open, wouldn’t yield!

Wasted seconds for I had no time,

Intention turned to freeing my line.

~

Chaffed red raw, my limb rubbed sore –

By a cable firmly tied.

It wouldn’t free or let go of me,

No matter how hard I tried.

~

Close to frantic, in utmost panic,

My thoughts confused, unclear,

Yet amidst such churning, a quiet stirring,

My mind brought forth an idea.

~

Away to my right, in my sight,

Part-hidden, housed in grey,

A truck of steel, upright on wheels,

Upon tracks of iron lay.

~

Stumbling, staggering, I made my way,

The box clasped tight to my chest,

Now burning within, lungs starving,

But no time to pause or rest.

~

Beside one side of the rusting truck,

I knelt upon the floor,

What hope I had rewarded luck:

This wagon empty of mined-ore.

~

Pressing my weight against its side,

I pushed for all my worth,

Sliding my line beneath its wheel,

I rocked it back and forth.

~

Such a motion caused commotion:

The sea awash with debris.

But evidently clear as I peered,

The line was fraying nicely!

~

With one final heave the line broke,

My limb, my body, set free!

No longer a shroud, a thickly cloak,

I hastened to flee the sea!

~

Upon sand floors, through hung doors,

My legs strove to stride,

Once outside the cavernous mine,

I ascended assisted by tide.

~

Upwards, upwards, towards sunlight,

Swimming hard with all my might,

Breaking free, escaping dark sea,

Nevermore’s heart accompanying me.

~

I surfaced gasping in briny swell,

Lungs inflating, breathlessness dispelled,

Buoyant was I amidst cresting foam,

Turning, turning, yearning for home.

~*~

~ Cope ‘n’ Corpse (Part 8) precedes this post. Part 10 to follow shortly ~

~*~

Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 8)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 8) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

Hollowed by nature, hewn by hand,

This entrance with an arching span,

Spanned a space squat and wide,

Room aplenty to squeeze inside.

~

Tumbled boulders flanked both sides,

Sand lay strewn at whim of tides, yet,

Clear divide upon sea-bed,

Where rusting rail-tracks led.

~

Tho’ little remained of timber frames,

Columns of wood stood tall,

Below its mantle remnants dangled:

Derelict doors about to fall.

~

Tho’ dark and dingy I could see,

Inside the cave in front of me.

What little light infused deep grey,

Revealed a dismal passageway.

~

All this I saw with one quick glance:

An image blurred as if in trance,

Yet easily distracted, my eye attracted,

To where above the mine hung a sign.

~

In stark contrast to sand and sea,

Affixed to rock horizontally,

Painted in red, ‘Beware!’ I read.

‘Unsafe! Abandoned Mine!’

~

But time was pressing, lungs stressing,

My dilemma as yet unsolved.

With firmer resolve I renewed my haste,

Quickened my pull, upped my pace.

~

Pinewood slats where blockading doors,

Lay ruined upon sea floor.

Through this opening I scurried forth,

Hand-over-hand for all my worth.

~

A short way in the cable thinned:

Twas frayed to just one wire.

Diminished in size it began to rise,

Vertically higher and higher.

~

To sea-floor I threw my coiled line:

Gathered en route to the disused mine,

It weighted me down upon the ground,

 By its action aiding my traction.

~

But yet, it was this line about my limb,

Tightly knotted, chaffing skin,

Which bound me here inside this hole:

Too heavy to carry, swim and haul.

~

I stumbled forwards towards cave wall,

Felt gentle currents push and pull,

Hands took hold of slippery rock,

I climbed to where the wire stopped.

~

Stretching upwards, stood on toes,

Reaching where my line goes:

Inside a fissure formed in fractured rock,

Wherein it coiled about a box.

~

Tightly held, secured fast,

A box small in size, from metal cast.

Rusted, dusted but still intact,

Its casing complete, without a crack.

~

With urgent fumbling, rock-wall crumbling,

At last the box tumbled down.

It lay on sea floor where I could see more,

More of the box I’d found.

~ 

Still locked, bound, chained around,

Still tied with rotting rope,

I hurried my hand to find the lock,

Believing there was still hope.

~*~

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 7) precedes this post. Part 9 to follow shortly ~

~*~

Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 7)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 7) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

Deep, dark, unsettling murk,

Gaping gaps where creatures lurked,

Small fish swished, sped and swam,

Hurried, scurried, scattered, scrammed.

~

Bumped, bruised, breathless, confused,

My body scratched and scraped,

Turning, twisting, without desisting,

Persisting despite my aches.

~

Hastening hard along the line,

When I saw a light source shine.

Twas dull at first, as if submersed,

Diffused by silt each tidal burst.

~

But a light is was, a beaming ray,

Through salty sea had made its way,

To shine brightly in caliginous grey:

Illume small space to survey.

~

Straining to see through sombre sea,

I was convinced beyond all doubt,

Bubbles flowed and quickly rose,

Rising from a thermal spout.

~

Not just one bubble but a stream!

A string of bubbles ascending!

Could it be oxygen being vented?

Or anoxic gas quickly lamented?

~

Whilst tied by cable down below,

I had no choice but to go.

Investigate pearlescent glow,

Or else forgo my life!

~

Closer now, said shaft of light,

Glowed at depths to my right.

Twas pale but sufficiently bright,

To guide me to the venting site.

~

Kicking hard ‘tween coral shards,

Through kelp and rocky reef,

I hauled down hard on seaweed stems,

Towering from way beneath.

~

The shaft of light now dim in glim,

Pooled on something glistening.

Mineral matter from a vent,

Scattered the floor as sediment.

~

Cautious, despairing, in need of airing,

Fearing hot toxic stew,

I slammed a hand into the flow,

Watched as bubbles bubbled through.

~

Cool to touch, no smell or scent,

I placed my mouth to the vent,

Then squatting down upon the ground,

Breathed-in effervescence.

~

Oxygen rich was a heady mix,

I succumbed to disorientation.

Yet held by cable, I felt enabled,

Buoyed by oxygenation.

~

With lungs inflated, spirit elated,

Once again pursuing the line,

To where extended it abruptly ended,

Beyond slats of shattered pine.

~

If not for absence of silt and debris,

Or flourishing fields of swaying kelpie,

I’d never have seen where cable led:

To a cavernous opening on seabed.

~

Twas entrance to a deserted mine,

Abandoned from an earlier time,

When long before sea-water tore,

 Crumbled dry land upon the shore.

~*~

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 6) precedes this post. Part 8 to follow shortly ~

~*~

Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 6)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 6) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

Fumbling around upon the ground,

In hope of finding Nevermore,

But only cold sea, sand and debris,

Lay upon the ocean-floor.

~

Pain in my chest urgently pressed,

 Encouraged me to rise.

‘Stay to long,’ echoed Nightingale’s song,

‘You’ll be gone with the tide.’

~

‘Quickly, quickly,’ I quietly thought,

Hands busied yet finding naught,

Fretful, anxious, flurried, fraught,

Eager to find the box I sought.

~

With little purchase in sea-bed,

My body buoyed, elevated,

Currents coursed, quickly shifted,

So to I quickly drifted.

~

Pushed and pulled to-and-fro,

Caught unaware by tidal flow,

With anchorage lost: I’d let go,

Hauled away by undertow.

~

I tumbled, twisted, turned, spun,

All sense of direction verily undone,

Which way up, which way down,

Whirled was I around, around.

~

How far I travelled, how far flung?

Swiftly currents carried me on,

Faster, faster, further away: was it

Out to sea or towards the bay?

~

Til dragged upon a craggy reef:

Saw-tooth coral with rock beneath.

Bubbles of air escaped clenched teeth,

Breathless now I had to breathe.

~

I looked above towards dull glow,

Fifty feet, not far to go,

Yet something coiling down below,

Reached for me from shadow.

~

Harder I tried, tighter it tied,

Entwining about my limb.

I couldn’t see what held me:

Tethered unable to swim.

~

Desperate for air, lungs hurting,

I reached to grasp the vine-like thing,

Fingers reached, searched and found,

A tenacious tentacle holding me down.

~

Twas a thickly line, perhaps a cable,

Heavy-set but yet still able,

To rise and full on current’s whim,

To grab and grapple everything.

~

Now tautly bound around my skin,

Doubtless tightened by my struggling,

I couldn’t release its grip on me:

Escape this fate and flee.

~

Tiring quickly, my thinking slow,

Weakened with no oxygen flow,

With seconds passing I decided to go,

Deeper still into coral growth.

~

Twas where the cable must’ve led,

Secured somehow to rocky-bed,

Perhaps if I could free it there?

Free myself, surface for air.

~

Dismal depths where shadow loomed,

Confining spaces, constricted room,

Jagged jaws, ragged rock,

Coral snagged but I didn’t stop.

~*~

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 5) precedes this post. Part 7 to follow shortly ~

~*~

Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 5)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 5) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

Briny cold sea swallowed me,

Stole breath from my lungs,

In need of air I reached for where,

Braced iron formed ladder rungs.

~

I grasped gasping as sea-salt rasping,

Purged my throat and gut.

Twas all I could do not to spew,

Holding tight the metal strut.

~

Chills spilled, ice-water steeped,

Cold crept under my skin,

Frigid sea penetrated me,

Seeped deep-down within.

~

I took one moment to adjust,

Gathered my wits before I rushed,

Once more beneath ocean waves,

Kicking my legs for thrust.

~

Beneath the buoy a wire thread,

Led down into the sea,

With hands gripping, grip slipping,

I hauled-line ahead of me.

~

What little light grew less bright,

Whilst deeper I descended,

A murky gloom as if in a tomb,

Into gloaming depths extended.

~

About half-way, or so I thought,

Line gave way to chain,

Heavily rusted, barnacle encrusted,

Ripped my hands again, again.

~

What drove me on beyond this mark,

Towards sea-bed in the dark?

Nothing more than a promise made,

To free a heart lost in shade.

~

Insistant pain hindered my gain,

But downwards I persisted,

Pressure pressed with relentless zest,

Yet somehow I resisted.

~

When then touch-down upon the ground:

Feet sinking in silt sand.

 Darkness stole all sight from me,

Here in this fluid land.

~

By sense of touch I fumbled around,

Fingers feeling for a casket bound,

Enwound by chain, leaden blocks:

Layered silt, heavy rocks.

~

Whether by luck or curious fate: not a box,

But a tether of significant weight,

 Taut and tied to a riveted-plate,

Headed away, straight across the floor.

~

Without pause or hesitation,

Nor deviation from this line,

I pulled along at rapid pace,

Knowing there was little time.

~

Between rough rocks, through kelp sward,

 Hastening quicker, swimming hard,

Until the cable slackened, frayed:

My head reeled, my heart dismayed.

~

Frantic with panic in claggy sea,

I let go the line guiding me,

Both hands grabbled across the floor,

Desperately searching for Nevermore.

~

Short of air, close to despair,

Unanchored from iron chain,

With lungs burning, silt churning,

My will began to wain.

~*~

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 4) precedes this post. Part 6 to follow shortly ~

~*~

Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 4)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 4) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

The sea a grey tenebrous blue,

An expanse of nondescript hue,

Sepia fog restricted our view,

Easing out beyond the bay.

~

About the boat soft pitter-patter,

Raindrops fell, gently splattered.

Old oak oars splashed and spliced,

Propelling our flotation device.

~

Silent but for Nightingale’s song,

A quiet lament for one long gone,

Whose bonded heart beats o so strong,

 Whose tender love lives on-and-on.

~

Wave at our bow, wake at stern,

Sailing onwards, never turned,

Through mist, murk and mystery,

Closer to the heart of he.

~

With arms straining, hands sore,

Distant from far sandy shore,

Our boat pushed on quickly now,

Deeper into claggy cloud.

~

“Not far! Not far!” Nightingale sang:

Lifted in spirit as a buoyed-bell rang.

“Quickly, quickly,” she said to me,

“Save my love, set him free.”

~

When then a smudge of orange hue,

A florescent shade disrupted blue,

A spherical buoy secured by chain,

Topped an iron-strutted frame.

~

“Yes, yes,” cried the excited Chat,

Now sat on the floating form.

She’d curtailed her whine, secured a line,

Tied our boat to the platform.

~

Whilst I prepared Nightingale aired

Instructions for my task.

It wouldn’t do being confused,

‘Neath the sea I couldn’t ask.

~

“Dive, dive,” the songbird said,

“Dive to where the cable’s led.”

“Down, down, plunge straight ahead,”

“Down until you touch sea-bed.”

~

“There on the floor lies Nevermore.”

“In a box chained and weighted.”

“Loosen rocks, undo locks,”

“And my love is liberated.”

~

Perhaps now bolder to my shoulder,

She flew and nestled down.

“Safe and sound, soon homeward bound,”

“Soon back on firmer ground.”

~

A sudden swell tolled the bell,

As if warning of our trespass.

“Hurry, hurry, the tides do scurry,”

“Deep currents move so fast.”

~

She fluttered feathers then to my hand,

Perched resting on a finger.

“Stay too long you’ll be gone,”

“Neither pause nor linger.”

~

From my pocket I pulled the key,

Twas tied to thread carefully.

About my wrist I bound it tight,

Within my reach, within my sight.

~

 Then to the edge of our boat,

One step further onto the float,

Which rolled, tolled, tipped and pitched,

Ditching me in the sea.

~*~

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 3) precedes this post. Part 5 to follow shortly ~

~*~

Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 3)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 3) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

Soft breeze played, swayed tall trees,

Splayed high branches, rattled leaves.

Upon a path ‘neath broad canopies,

I wove my way to the sea.

~

Where woodland thinned, where scrub began,

Where grass grew in golden sand,

Here my track trailed away –

Ending in a secluded bay.

~

A rock-strewn cove, craggy cliffs,

Brackish spray, drifting mist.

The day now grizzled, softly drizzled,

Pockmarked the siliceous shore.

~

Upon the strand impressed in sand,

Footprints led to where ahead,

The slip and slide of the tide,

Rumbled, tipped and tumbled.

~

Pausing one moment to contemplate,

 I mused the fate of Nevermore.

Somewhere out-there ‘neath ebb and flow,

Lay his heart upon sea floor.

~

‘Inside a metal box,’ she’d said,

‘Wrought iron, tied and bound.’

‘Weighted-down with heavy stones,’

‘Wherein his heart is found.’

~

“But where amidst deep briny sea?”

“Where indeed might his heart be?”

“Must I search for eternity,”

“To find his grave beneath the waves?”

~

As if on cue a Nightingale flew,

Flew twittering across the sea,

Around-and-around ’til settling down,

Upon the ground next to me.

~

“Far from shore lies Nevermore,”

“Sunk beneath a tolling buoy.”

“Tis tied by thread to the sea-bed -“

“Follow this cable to enable his joy.”

~

I looked to see what I could see,

But only sea stared back at me.

“How to reach this buoyed bell?”

“If you know please do tell.”

~

She smiled as only a Nightingale can,

Fluttered feathers, scratched at sand.

Beneath her claw a rope I saw:

Frayed, knotted and rotted.

~

The lamenting Chat flapped and sat,

Sat high upon my shoulder.

“Within your reach across the beach,”

“Hides a boat behind a boulder.”

~

Given new hope I lifted the rope,

Pulled it free of wet sand,

Hand-over-hand I coiled the line, ’til

Finding a boat on dry land.

~

‘Twas secreted away ‘neath tarpaulin,

Part-buried by tumbled stone.

It was intact, in-fact complete,

Dusty, lying prone.

~

Hauling line I set her free,

Dragged the boat to the sea,

Then casting off I made my way,

Rowing out into the bay.

~

Upon the bow sat Nightingale,

Guiding me on through the pale:

A veil of fog, a misted wall,

And onwards towards a tolling bell.

~*~

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 2) precedes this post. Part 4 to follow shortly ~ 

~*~

Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 2)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 2) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

When then a subtle single shift,

A lifting of the gloom,

Twas if sunlight reappeared, or

Darkness left some room.

~

I wasn’t sure as I gazed,

Through haze to where he’d stood,

But the hatted scarecrow,

Had left the darkly wood.

~

In his stead a woman knelt,

Knelt weeping on the floor.

She paused to pray but briefly,

Before shedding tears some more.

~

Beside a graveside softly sighing,

In dappled shade of Yews,

Here her hands busied tidying,

Dying flowers, blackened blooms.

~

Weathered headstone granite grim,

Chiselled, grizzled, letters dim,

To one unknown whose body lay,

Six-foot deep in soils of grey.

~

With tender touch thin fingers traced,

Soft lips mouthed a name,

“Nevermore,” she quietly said,

“Come back to me again.”

~

Spilling tears she looked at me,

“I am the Nightingale,” said she,

“Whose love lies lost beneath the sea,”

“Whose heart is lost to melancholy.”

~

“Twas early morn at crack of dawn,”

“When three stole him away,”

“Beat, bound, hung him high,”

“Until first light next day.”

~

“Then cut down, spliced into four,”

“Scattered across the forest floor,”

“But not his heart, for that was locked,”

“Inside a sunken metal box.”

~

When then she showed her palm to me,

Where-in there lay a tarnished key,

Twas old and gold and radiant,

Fashioned most beautifully.

~

“For thee,” said she slowly rising,

“So as to go where I cannot be:”

“Unlock the box beneath the sea,”

“Set-free his heart,” said she.

~

Her words faded upon a breeze,

Short, sudden, moving quickly,

One moment there, the next she’d gone –

But for the echo of a Nightingale’s song.

~

I paused to ponder, to reflect upon,

All she said, all that happened.

What had I witnessed? What did I see?

Everything was complete mystery!

~

I wondered why she’d come to me,

How I’d help her destiny.

“And what of the box found under the sea?”

“Where Nevermore’s heart is bound?”

~

I felt confused but yet quite certain,

I’d find more beyond this forest curtain: or else,

Why did I have eyes to see?

Why else reveal this mystery?

~

Someway ahead a pathway led,

Eased down through forest trees,

I turned towards it with intention,

Of moving-on from this location.

~

I took long strides in that direction,

When something glinting caused distraction,

And there before me on the floor,

A key of gold to free Nevermore.

~

Said key of gold, ornate and old,

Was formed so perfectly,

A polished blade, toothed, well-made,

Its bow inlaid with ivory.

~

With key in hand and curiosity,

Pushing, pulling, impelling me,

I headed down the phantom track,

Decision made, no turning back.

~*~

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 1) precedes this post. Part 3 to follow shortly ~ 

~*~

Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 1)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 1) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

Exiting a bypass, junction 33,

Along a dusty country road,

My strides carried me; further away,

From motorised cacophony.

~

I dallied, I dawdled,

I lingered here and there,

I listened to the warble,

Of warblers everywhere.

~

Clacking crows sat in rows,

Gibbering with gabbling gulls,

Yabber, yammer, jibber-jabber

 From tops of telegraph-poles.

~

I flowed along my road

Alongside field and fold,

Up and over hill crests,

Galumphing over wold.

~

Until a sty caught my eye,

Wooden, worn, well used,

Over which I tumbled,

To be left a little bruised.

~

Undeterred I wandered on,

But hadn’t trodden far,

When by a hidden siding,

I found a scarecrow hiding.

~

A mysterious chap grimacing wide,

Top-hat tilted to one side: but,

An ill-favoured look upon his face,

Had me quicken my rambling pace.

~

Very soon I became aware,

I was walking a different track,

And yet when I looked behind me,

There was no way back!

~

Bracken blocked my brambling path,

Hedgerows had grown taller,

I couldn’t see above or beyond,

Twas if I’d grown much smaller

~

Troubled, confused, puzzled, bemused,

Shivers ran up ‘n’ down my spine,

My enjoyable ramble, my jolly jaunt,

Twas no longer fine!

~

Whispered words from close behind,

Spun me quickly on my heels,

What stood there before my eyes,

Made me gasp before I reeled.

~

The grimacing scarecrow, hessian hooded,

Wooded, dressed in rags;

His topper lent an evil bent,

To robes made from body bags.

~

But its eyes! No longer cross-stitching,

Were black, bleak, bewitching!

O! How they stared at me!

Eyes full of pain, sadness, misery.

~

I took a big step backwards,

Pressed tight against Blackberry,

But thorns and barbs and piercing things,

Merely punctured or scratched at me.

~

Curling a twiggy digit, without fabric on it,

The Scarecrow begged me follow,

“Come, come,” it whispered pleading,

Leading a path towards a hollow.

~

At first unsure, in fact uncertain,

I stayed pinned to bramble’s curtain,

Not knowing what to do: but yet, curious

To know, where the scarecrow would go.

~*~

The Scarer, for that’s what it was,

Shuffled back into view,

“Come, come,” it implored again,

“You must come-on through.”

~

Such was the pain in saddened eyes,

I left the thorn-bush grasping,

And stumbled-on where it had gone,

Breathing hard, almost gasping.

~

The hollow, a bowl within a copse,

Twas dark, dappled, and eerie,

Seven trees with branches chopped,

Shielded light, made it dreary.

~

At its centre the gallybagger stood,

Balanced deftly on fallen wood,

As I drew near, it cupped each ear,

Put a fingertip to its lip.

~

A sudden shift, a quickening breeze,

Screams and shouts between tall trees,

Cries for help, “No! No! Please!”

“Dear God! Won’t you save me!”

~

Vaporous wisps along our path,

Words I heard, spoken with wrath,

When then emerged three hooded men,

Dragging someone behind them.

~

Cloaked were they in blackened grey,

Moving with menace, coming our way,

I had no time to step away –

When then they were upon me!

~

But not upon me, for they weren’t there!

Merely ghosts, phantoms, dense dank air,

Hauling a man with dark brown hair,

Into the hollow, their deathly lair.

~

Thrown to ground, badly beaten,

Bound, gagged, to make him quieten,

Whilst one swung rope over a bough,

“Let’s see if god, saves you now!”

~

Dragged to his feet, stripped bare to skin,

Three set about hanging him:

Symbols painted upon his chest,

Satan’s number carved in his flesh.

~

The noose loose about his neck,

Lifted him from the deck,

Higher, higher, higher he rose,

Body jerking from head to toes.

~*~

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 2) to follow shortly ~ 

~*~

Blood-Stone

~ Blood-Stone ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

The Way was open, all systems go,

Accelerating hard he hit the flow,

Light speed imminent, wings aglow,

Mercury in motion, quicksilver maestro.

~

Faster, faster, the Spacefaring Master

Sped outpacing shooting stars,

Quicker, quicker, until just a flicker:

A silver-streak en route for Mars.

~

He thundered passed the distant past,

Dashed through the annals of Time,

At lightening speed, still moving fast,

Mercury began to climb.

~

Rising as a rocket on a curving ascent,

Into a worm-hole he quickly went,

 Darted to its end, banked hard right:

Mars dead-ahead in his line of sight.

~*~

Planet Red in her starry bed,

Flush with the blush of a Rose:

Still tripped the Light, her devoted flight,

Spinning on her axial toes.

~

Mercury slowed to recompose,

To transform his molecular self,

When pressed from light into labyrinthine,

Set-down on a ruby-red shelf.

~*~

Months had passed since he were here last,

But Mars hadn’t changed at all,

She still shone, like a Rose-crystal sun,

As if in-Love for the very first time.

~

He’d travelled here to refuel the Wand:

This planet of Passion and Fire:

Where from her core he would draw,

Power to express God’s Desire.

~

You see, Mars is Her Fiery Guardian,

God’s Keeper of Scared Stone,

Tis why she’s red – or so it’s said,

For she bleeds for God’s Holy throne.

~*~

Mercury eased a smile on his dial:

It’d be a while ’til he came again,

Then with words unheard, he hovered his Wand,

Whispered a prayer for her pain.

~

A single stone of blood-red shade,

Arose from deep within her ground,

Found its way into his Wand,

When then he left without a sound.

~*~

~ Photography/Artwork/Composition ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~*~

Wish-List

~ Wish-List ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

Nobody knew where his wish-list flew,

As it rose upon Flame and Fire: but,

Leaving his room, it ascended the flume,

Upon Wings of Love and Desire.

~*~

A way away where starlight played,

The Supreme Alchemist scryed his wish,

With effortless ease She set-out to please,

Distilled Her will with great flourish.

~

From High Shelves above She selected a book,

Thumbed through parchment, took a look,

“Ah yes,” She mused, in anticipation,

“My old recipe for rapid Transmutation.”

~

She gathered a scatter of Saturnalia matter,

Added Sulphur, Salt and Mercury,

A little Tin was drizzled in:

“Elementus for the hypothalamus,” said She.

~

“One dropper of Copper, one Silver sliver,”

“Magnetised Iron to guide his river,”

“A pinch of Palladium to fill his fissure,”

“Spools of Silk binding all together.”

~

Then back to the page returned the Sage,

Checking everything was crafted and done,

“Of course!” Said She most excitedly,

“Dew from the Light of Three Suns!”

~*~

In no time at all, shaked and baked,

Interstellar matter cooled and shaped,

She called the Messenger, Winged Mercury,

“Would you mind?” She asked, “special delivery.”

~*~

Twas Christmas morn, a new day dawned,

And there beneath the tree,

A gold-parcel rested: in evergreen nested,

Tagged, “With Love from Me to thee.”

~*~

~ Artwork/Composition ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~*~

Fragaria Rosaceae

~ Fragaria Rosaceae ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

A Rose from afar lulled his heart,

Lifted his soul from ocean’s blue,

Warmed by Fire enflaming his hearth,

Upon wings of Love he flew.

~*~

His journey of ten-thousand miles,

Over land and sea, untamed wilds,

He never stopping nor idly flocking,

Travelled at ease independently.

~

When then one day at wuthering height,

Tumultuous storms curtailed his flight,

Unable to see, no line-of-sight,

Forced to land overnight.

~

Beneath broad boughs of Oaken Trees,

With night’s dark veil O so deep,

Warm and dry amidst windswept leaves,

Lay down his head as if to sleep.

~

Slow to slumber whilst raging thunder

Hammered-on ’til dawn,

He found small space, a special place,

Vision of a new day born…

~

Airborne once more in dusted skies,

Joyous in flight, elemental highs,

Where he and air were harmonized,

All thoughts of Love romanticized.

~

Upon Earth below, his beloved globe,

Shadow lifted as light shifted,

Starlight faded away: a new day begun,

An emergent sun, rising-on the horizon.

~

When with gentle tease a softly breeze,

Blew quivering his wing-tip feathers,

Despite his dreaming, intuited deep feeling,

 He turned freewheeling towards the Sun.

~

Blinded at first by Light so bright,

Smarting eyes could not see,

But still he flew into the hue,

On a journey of discovery.

~*~

Until in time through salty haze,

An island appeared before his gaze,

Shimmering green, like none ever seen,

This mystical skerry born from dream.

~

Two towering summits, snow-capped peaks,

Rolling hills with graceful sweeps,

To an open bay where waves at play

Found their way, foaming upon the shore.

~

Where there harboured a majestic sight,

Fragaria Rosaceae of the greatest might,

Winged was She dressed crimson red,

Flowering locks green upon Her head.

~

From either side two feathered beasts,

In silence stood with golden beaks,

Guarded Her being: watchmen like priests,

Alert to all who’d falsely seek.

 ~

Beyond Her crown, a hill-top crest,

A Rosy-Cross stood still at rest,

Shone-out its Light with eternal zest,

Brightly Blessed Her isle with Love.

~

To Her open-mouth a pathway led,

Rising from Her ocean bed,

 “Ego Rosa tua,” She softly said,

Shedding all dread from his heart.

~*~

~ Artwork/Artistic Composition ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~*~

~ Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the Rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as the Strawberry for their edible fruits ~

~ In Medieval Christian art and folklore, the Strawberry symbolizes spiritual purity, decency, righteousness, and perfect nobility of spirit. It is also an emblem of Venus, the Goddess of Love, because of its heart shape and red colour,  ~

~*~