Refuge

A fairytale poem from spring of last year:

The lady fled on gallant steed
Escaped the castle and its keep

To the river, forged the shallows
Ran the horse, through fields now fallow

Fearing the worst, she rode all night
Slept in saddle during the flight

The craggy mountains gave no shelter
The burning sun by day did swelter

Pursued by hounds, as though from hell
They caught her scent, upon her fell

If it were not for her brave warrior
They’d have sampled the lady’s flavor

But to Highland refuge she was spirited
The clan’s protection she had merited

As her distant cousin, she had sought
A haven from her future lot

Forced to marry for a treaty sworn
The lady’s fate was foreordained

But to her lover’s arms, she ran
He, the noble chief of the clan

In swelling womb his babe was carried
And he, the lady swore to marry

Mountain Mama

Inspired by a hike in the Smoky Mountains this past spring. I’ve added a local track…

Through steep and narrow paths I forge
Where glacier carved the river gorge

The wind in the forest whispers her name
Woodland creatures praise her fame

While sunlight trickles through the branches
Mountain Mama sits on her haunches

Washed with rain and in torrent bathed
Her overflow becomes a cascade

To quench the forest’s eager thirst
To green the foliage, flowers burst

And where leaves and logs in forest lay
She wears the perfume of loamy decay

Then sunlight fades to purple twilight
Emerge the winged creatures of night

Over moonlit treetops, bat wings flutter
Gently worship Earth, their mother

Before the purple fades on the end of day
I bid mother goodnight and go on my way

This is an ongoing fantasy of mine. I went so far as to buy a book that teaches you how to disappear. From last spring…

I want to be anonymous
I want to run away
Find a way to fake my death
Collect on the insurance policy

Travel somewhere sunny and warm
Where no one knows my name
Change my face, change my form
Ditch my regrets and shame

And sip a cold Dos Equis
On some pristine sandy beach
Cause my life is kinda empty
When you’re so far out of reach