Between Fire and Moon

"May I weep, now?" she asked
as she stood before the fire
among the maple trees.
The pools of wetness spilled from her eyes
down her cheeks
evaporating in the night heat.

She looked at me
I wondered why she still stood there.
The shadows of forgotten dreams
lined her face.
Her eyes still young
with her stare back to the fire
the flames danced in her deep
brown reflections of her eyes.

I could not speak
my tongue silenced
it wouldn't matter anyway
her mind was made up.
No words of goodbye
as she pulled the hood over her head
reaching down for her scythe.

As she stepped toward the flame
she paused to look to her hands.
Smoke replaced her form
to drift in the breeze
and dance in the moon-glow
until a whisper flit then gone.

A dream that I need to work through. Sometimes these words arrive in the dream mists between slumber and awareness.

Addendum: The woman is not anyone I know or have known. The impression I have is there is a deep regret that I don't understand (yet).

Or... I could be all wrong.

Linked to Poets and Storytellers United: Writers' Pantry #19: Birthing Hope

The Cook and the Court Jester (Final)

Our cook, after rescuing her love from the king, killed the captain of a ship and took command of the vessel and systematically destroyed the king's naval forces. After destroying the admiral's ship, her own is crippled in the bay.
The Cook and the Court Jester (Part One)
The Cook and the Court Jester (Part Two)
The Cook and the Court Jester (Part Three)

With the waves through the debris
the crew of the ship could see
the beckoning depths of the dead.

The cook and now the crew
with despair their only view
as sea turned to the color red.

Water they were taking on
with the pumps now gone
their ship was starting to sink.

They were going down fast
it leaned port with cracked mast
they had no time to even think.

The cook now with no hope
she did not long to cope
with her lost partner of jest.

She asked the sea now down
to the depths and to drown
because she thought it was best.

But a hand reached her then
the sea it would not win
the life of the intrepid cook.

She passed out at the sight
who brought her up from the night
but maybe she just mistook.

Now they rest on the beach
that the king could not reach
together again until now.

They live on in their dream
or so it would seem
the mystical world somehow.

The cook and the jester
could never do better
to rest, laugh and to sing.

In this world by the bay
they could live everyday
no longer pursued by the king.

This series was loosely inspired by The Court Jester, a mid 50's film staring Danny Kaye who portrayed a bumbling character who takes the identity of a court jester meant to assassinate the usurper king. This comedy/musical had a much happier ending.



Linked at Poets and Storytellers United: Writer's Pantry #18: Indulgences

The Cook and the Court Jester (Part Three)

Previously, our Cook and her Court Jester escaped from the king, boarded a ship where an attempt on the life of the jester was thwarted but the cook. Now they are sailing on the sea to new destinations.
See part one
Also part two

Down deep in the ship's hold
so we've always been told
the cargo of powder and ball.

Small arms and in crate
they found cannon times eight
turning back to port was the call.

The ship filled out the sail
determined to not fail
to attack the ships of the king.

With the same flag as the ship
while the moon was to dip
the attack did more than sting.

The king's ships were ablaze
and in a matter of days
the fleet's losses did mount.

Now with the ship's crew
the cook's loyalty grew
with each victory they did count.

Though with blood on their hands
they dreamed of white sands
on a beach of a foreign shore.

With supplies running low
they finally turned to go
and retire from their private war.

But the admiral of the fleet
would not give in to defeat
and engaged them on August the fourth.

They no longer could hide
from the admiral's pride
she fired on the ship from the north.

Cook saved the jester twice
but couldn't make it thrice
as jester took a bullet that day.

He saw them take sure aim
then protected his dame
by jumping just then in the way.

The cook ordered the helm
"Turn to the ship of the realm"
to block the admiral's flight.

The admiral could not turn
his deck it did burn
but he wouldn't give up the fight.

Starboard guns ordered to fire
"Light that ship into a pyre"
the last words the admiral said.

His ship then split in two
the cook's ship ran it through
the sea depths belonged to the dead.

A fourth and final installment to follow.

Linked to Poets and Storytellers United: Writers’ Pantry #17: Growing Safety

The Cook and the Court Jester (Part Two)

After last week's response, I've added part two to our story. Our cook and her court jester escaped the dungeon of the king and are riding through the night in hopes of avoiding his wrath. (See Part One here.)

Through the night they rode on
spies reported back by dawn
and warrants were issued by the king.

The king's next decree
for letting them flee
the guards by rope did they swing.

The cook and the jester
could have done better
but only reached the river called Black

They were miles ahead
and never rested their heads
for they could never hold off an attack.

With men in hot pursuit
they doubled back on their route
and turned their horses now to the west.

In the afternoon close to three
they reached the Blue Sea
paid a captain they had no time to test.

Launched out into the bay
safe in their getaway
the jester relaxed by the rail.

The captain ordered his men
to toss the jester just then
the cook was not about to fail.

The cook took the mate's sword
stopped them throwing overboard
her jester and ending his life.

She then killed the captain
and this did begin
the greater naval warfare and strife.

The crew were all paid
with some gold and were made
loyal to the jester and cook.

For all that was said
the captain was now dead
that gold was all that it took.

She became captain that day
on the ship in the bay
with the jester as her first mate.

To open water they set sail
they knew they wouldn't fail
heading west and to their fate.

Linked at Poets and Storytellers United:Writers' Pantry #16: April prepares us for what's to come ahead
Where this story goes is uncertain, but the third (and maybe final) part coming soon.

The Cook and the Court Jester (Part One)

The cook and the court jester
they ran off together
leaving in the dead of the night.

The missing king's gold
untold pounds we were told
the jester stole in his flight.

Jester took such abuse
before he finally let loose
with a tirade aimed at the king.

Thrown into iron chains
he would never complain
but continued to laugh and sing.

On parchment it was on
to be quartered and drawn
the order handed down from the court.

His friends scattered round
did not want to be found
in the company of any of his sort.

But the cook was the one
who took pity upon
the jester and his sorry plight.

She cooked up the plan
for she so loved the man
to risk running into the night.

She gave food to the guard
where he collapsed in the yard
and ran with the key in her hand.

To the jester's cold cell
she found him unwell
with effort he barely could stand.

The cook had horses outside
for they surely could ride
with her love under the night sky.

With bags of the king's gold
they rode off in the cold
in their dreams they knew they could fly.

Linked at Poets and Storytellers United: Writers' Pantry #15: All About That Love

The Cook and the Court Jester (Part Two)

What is a storm?

The lightning hissed across the sky
the wrath of the storm raged to the new horizon
the trail left nothing
no one untouched.
Saint or Sinner
it fell upon all the same.
The tornado that ran west
was it retribution for the woman in Kinross?
The lightning doesn't aim its bolt
to every blameless victim still?
The vengeance of wind and hail
there is no judgement upon us.
A storm is sometimes just a storm.
Quiet again
Zeus doesn't live here anymore.

Linked at Poets and Storytellers United: Weekly Scribblings #14: Let's use Pathetic Fallacy, shall we?

That Grand Symphony

Those cheerful calls from winged flight
To cacophony of insects both high and low
That Grand Symphony of music to hear
Listen, deeply listen to that good land

Summer sun through winter freeze
Then back again the songs sing
By winged cherubim and more
The land, the lands sings ever on

Not just heartbeats that add to songs
Winds pass through the green leaves
Of cottonwoods, maple and mighty oaks
The wind, gentle or strong blows on

The hill slopes shifting the tall grass
Swaying rolling waves of straw
The background rhythm to it all
Listen, so very deeply to the wind songs

Who conducts the orchestra?
The composer of the chorus grand
And ever-changing members on stage
To honor the listener of that good land

If you listen, do you hear?
From fields of grassland to covered hills
Autumn colors from treed valleys
That Grand Symphony echoes on

Linked to Poets and Storytellers United: Writers’ Pantry #14: “silence is not a natural environment for stories”