Allowing You To Live
© Surazeus
2025 03 01

Blue water ripples in white porcelain tub
as Cassandra stretches and cleans her skin
with flower-paste soap on the soft sea sponge,
and flames of candles delicately dance
in soft river breeze among plum tree limbs
that gleam black in purple evening dusk glow.

Long red silk gown draped around her lithe curves
flutters in river breeze tinged by moonlight
as Cassandra glides gracefully alone
past portraits of ancestors that swell bright
and reach gaunt ghostly hands to grasp her hair
that swirls free from desperation to live.

Climbing tall maple tree on the hill top,
Cassandra gazes far across broad valley
where the river winds among orchard groves
with seven villages where angels dwell
in stone cottages with gardens of herbs,
and cries at vision of them all in flames.

Approaching locked door of the castle tower,
Cassandra gestures hand sigils to spark
invisible flame that knocks the door open,
then climbs stairs winding up into the sky
to find her daughter Rapunzel hogtied,
so she cuts ropes and they flee down the stairs.

Five men with swords surround the open door
so Cassandra swirls and knocks them all down,
then crouches in martial stance of calm force
to fight Tereus, who kidnaps young girls,
but he shoots her with bullet from long gun
and she lies bleeding under the red moon.

Weeping distraught at cruel death of her mother,
Rapunzel flees through mist in mountain woods,
clambering past tangled vines of despair
till she lies gasping by small sparkling pool
as gold sunlight gleams through indifferent pines,
trying not to scream loud as she births her child.

Cradling new-born baby in trembling arms,
Rapunzel gazes in her silver eyes
with heart-breaking ache of desperate love
that banishes her vow of just revenge
to drown child of her rapist after birth,
unable to commit that tragic act.

"By allowing you to live, my dear Sibyl,
I reward evil man, driven by greed,
who kidnapped me and locked me in his tower,
then forced me to bear child against my will,
with life for immortal soul of his genes,
but you are innocent of his foul crime."

surazeus.blogspot.com/2025/03/…

Orpheus woos Sibyl as she picks strawberries by the sparkling river, strumming lyre of Mercury and singing sweet hymns as she shyly dances for him.

#Poetry #Poem #Pastoral #Necropastoral #MetaModernism #MetaRomanticism #NewSublimity #NewRomanticism #AmericanDream #Cinemism #Existentialism #Surrealism #NegativeCapability #NewGnosticism #MetaRealism #NewTranscendentalism #Astarism