Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 16)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 16) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

Sweet Selene into dream descended,

Queen of gleam, her reign ended,

Apparelled in silver, a star suspended,

Herald of Dawn, Aurora ascended.

~

Entranced and gazing, contemplating,

Expectant, if not anticipating,

Waiting for first moment when,

Sunlight spilt on far horizon.

~

“Upon this hour, this perfect dawn,

When Venus declares new day born,

You will see, no longer doubt,

Open your eyes, look about!”

~

I was alone, stilled as stone,

Still bolstered by a boulder,

Twas hours since he made me wince,

His grip upon my shoulder.

~

That spectral form made manifest,

With zest left long ago,

Departed when a strong wind blew,

Returned to the energy flow.

~

“Wish,” he said, “I’ll be there,”

“Indeed,” he added, “I’m everywhere!”

“Tis what we Anemoi perpetually do,”

“God’s of Wind, breathe life into you.”

~

He had impressed, or firmly stressed –

Expressed applying pressure:

“Winter’s come, yet winter’s gone,

“From here-on life gets fresher.”

~

And so I’d sat in quiet retreat,

Cool damp sand beneath my feet,

Lulled by the lullaby of tidal beat,

As if in the dwam before deep sleep.

~

‘Tween dawning scenes and waking dreams –

Subliminal spaces undefined,

Within such places he’d opened seams:

Words waiting to be mined.

~

“Not yet adept, but versed I see –

Purveyor of words, rhyming poetry.

Believe or not, that is your choice, but

Lend your ear to my voice.”

~

‘Tis not by chance I’ve come to thee,

I’m hastened by Persephone,

Her season’s nigh, ’tis imminent,

For you that is a pivotal moment.”

~

“I’m Zephyrus Ferverous, the West Wind’s mine,

An agent of change for warm, light times.

Tis I whose breath, active, dynamic,

Blows your mind, lifts your lyric.”

~

“Perhaps dear friend, you’ve heard of me?”

I flutter feathers for Mercury.

If not for I, where would he be?

Breathless says I, pained by gravity!”

~

“It’s said I’m sombre, saturnine –

Stripping trees in Autumn time: but yet,

Mine’s the process encouraging decline,

Inspiring Nature to spring new vine.”

~

“Throughout great ages, old years of yore,

Hundreds I’ve known, Poet’s galore.

 I’ve been their remedy easing strife,

A breath of fresh air penning new life.”

~*~

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 15) precedes this post. Part 17 to follow shortly ~

~*~

Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 15)

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 15) ~ By ~ Dewin Nefol ~

~

Neither less diminished, nor less bright

The colour of the tendril’d light,

No longer glared ferocious white, but

Flared instead deep purple.

~

Twas if that lustre, an energetic flow,

Shone from within, an auric glow,

For this spirit, this spectre, this visitant,

Illumed at its core was scintillant.

~

So close to me I could sense,

Its halcyon sway, its resonance:

Calm, serene, with manner mild, yet,

Beneath its façade, something wild.

~

A quality hidden, I could not fathom,

An enigmatic edge to this balmy phantom,

 Twas more perception than certainty, but,

Beyond all doubt ambiguity.

~

Coiled, expectant, upon wet sand,

My head raised, tho’ I didn’t stand,

Eager was I to understand,

To figure-out what was at hand.

~

Whatever it was or wanted with me,

It posed no threat immediately,

For had it intended hostility,

Why delay swift victory?

~ 

I watched and waited, hesitated,

Ill at ease and agitated, but,

Not disquieted or prone to ruffle,

This eidolon meant me no trouble.

~

I lifted my eyes towards night skies,

Gazed upwards at the being,

To my surprise ‘neath hooded guise,

A face was now appearing!

~

Indeed this spectre was solidifying –

Fleshing out with skin and bone,

A man it was, aged, well-weathered,

Long beard of pearl-grey tone!

~

Upon his face inscribed ink-blue,

Signs and seals, arcane tattoos,

Those I saw inspired the notion:

Symbols for wind, time and motion.

~ 

Mere moments later he was complete:

Manifest from head to feet,

Clothed and cloaked in drapery,

He exuded an air of mystery.

~

Wide-eyed was I, surprised, aghast,

An apparition in flesh recast! But,

What was this inexplicable sorcery,

This mesmerism in front of me?

~

Fully formed he took one stride,

Closer still until beside –

Beside the side of my right-hand side,

Then reached to touch my shoulder.

~

As reflex reaction to his action,

I blenched and flinched away,

Yet neither my shiver nor my quiver,

Dislodged his hand where it lay.

~

Without hiss, or cackle, or ghostly rattle,

Without menace to excite my fear,

Words I heard whispering,

In tones soft, deep and clear.

~*~

~ Copse ‘n’ Corpse (Part 14) precedes this post. Part 16 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 ~ 

~*~