The Blue Lotus

Under the darkened, Ancient oak Gentle in the nights breeze I stop and stare, rest a while With hands upon my knees Through jaded leaves, bush and scrub I spy my journey's end Black it looms, silent gloom The castle called Avend On I trot, past the forest eyes Past the horrors of the night Through the dark, I see a sign A gentle glowing light Upon reaching the castle I ascend the ivy Toward the golden window My heart pounds and my breath is rushed As I fight both brick and branch The ledge is mine and over I sweep Silent like the falling snow Quiet, I slip across the polished floor Tonight, I will dine with chance The Blue Lotus, a legend, I thought a myth Old poems and stories gone A beauty of unimaginable lust Both men's hearts, and the Gods', were won Skin like milk, an angel's face They say her smile could kill Her hair is the blackest of all black Stories I thought though, still So there she lay sleeping upon the bed Half covered by fantastic silks Her breast I see, moves with her dreams A sight I will always recall A single candle that showed me the way Through forest, river and hills Glows upon that lovely skin Shadows dancing around the walls Closer I creep, toward my prize The Blue Lotus lies before me Her lips are full, red as blood Moist as they invite me Stoop I did to kiss those lips In the glowing room When suddenly, she did awake, Her eyes filled with doom From silks, her hands were round my neck Escape there was no hope A brief flash of teeth is all that I saw And gone was my throat Her bloodlust deep, she swallowed me Red was all I saw She drank her fill and watched me fall Gently to the floor A league away my death is found By locals who tend this land Who lay me down in shallow earth A single Lotus placed in my hand.