THE FLAMING FOREST

THE FLAMING FOREST

I moved out of the flaming forests

Of Crimson hued unknown flowers,

Paper thin dried petals,

Like gossamer wings of

Dried butterflies,

Flaming orange, nameless flowers

Fired by the passionate sun.

The grass burnt to ochre and dark leaves a sepia,

And shiny black birds hovering too near,

Made me step back in fear and

Stretch my hands as I moved out of this forest drear.

The steam, vaporized water of the lakes

Lifted me up as I rose through the haze and found my shade of blu,

My ashen petals, my mauve pools rippling and revealing

A monster’s figure,

Looming large a Duessa, with a snakes’ s tail,

Human form, with a snake’s tail;

Coiling round and sapping the life blood out

Even her children are not spared

As I whirled in the grip of the scaly tail.

The fire set, the trees afire,

The  flaming trees, the crimsom flowers,

The dried ashen petals

All swirled and danced in a maddening

cosmic vortex of paroxysmic gyrations

While my breath was squeezed out by the

Swirling Duessas.

 More appeared,Circe and Medusa,

 with the coiled serpents,

Their heinous laughter echoed harsh.

 Gargoyles with their bubbling mouth

Stood guard, confronting evil.

Yet seething, hissing, fuming the evil

Figures turned and wore their enchanting garb.

Before mine aghast, dazed eyes, they morphed

Into beautiful women with an inspiring laugh

Dropping unctuous words

Like the honey of Hybla bees

While venomous smoke filled my

Forest green and drove its colours

Leaving Ash, ash , All around ash,

And the light snuffed out by the scales of the

False Duessa

So we wait for the Knight of Temperance

To free the Lady Una.

Chandrani Basu