Oh come, my love, my soft and sleek, the hawk moth glides in sultry shade and love's deep thirst has made me weak; come out and hear my serenade.
The moon-spun clouds shimmer and glide and fur flies in the alleyways, oh come and walk the Great Outside, come out to me and feast your gaze!
I am a fine and fluffsome thing my silken flanks shiver for you, love, come outside and hear me sing; my voice is resonant and true.
Come now, come now, peruse the night, come let me kiss your russet hair and we will dance in amber light, and our music will shake the air.
Saturday, 6 March 2010
A Vampire Tale In 4 sonnets, by Pinky Andrexa (aka Sara L. Russell) 2/6/03
I
A vampire's spun of dust and frailty, Condemned to shun the healing light of day; No innocent first kiss for such as he, No cross to keep his own demons away.
He's poised in shadow, by the lady's bed, Fixated by her flawless, youthful skin, Her fragile throat beneath her dreaming head, Translucent, showing pale blue veins within.
"And will I lift the curtain of thy hair, And on thy pale white bosom, stoop to feed? If thou wakest to find me sleeping there Would there be retribution for my greed?"
She does not hear his whispered litany. He stoops to feed, in silent ecstasy.
II
Her blood intoxicates him right away. His head is reeling; he is feeling strange. She's tasted claret earlier that day, Surfiet of wine has caused her blood to change.
Inebriated now, he starts to yawn, As gently, like a cradle, the room sways. He's mindful he must not linger till dawn, Yet down he lies and, dozing, there he stays.
Wild dreams of parties fill his sozzled mind: Of sanguinary crimes, of flying free, Of hanging upside down with his own kind, In places that the sun will never see.
As if thrown from a lofty height, he lies. Beside him, she has opened her blue eyes.
III
The lady does not turn her drowsy head At first, but when she does, stifles a cry. The ashen youth beside her appears dead, With bloodied lips; until he seems to sigh,
Whereon his mouth curves into a half-smile, His wanton eyebrows flicker as he dreams. She settles down to watch him for a while, How very dark and dangerous he seems!
"And will I lift the curtain of thy hair And on thy handsome throat, alight to feed? If thou wakest to find me lying there, Wouldst thou be angry, or rejoice to bleed?"
Did I say that? She wonders, feeling odd, She gives her new sharp canine teeth a prod.
IV
He wakes, looks up - and she is looking down. Her wide blue eyes betray none of her fears. He stares at her, his hand raised to his crown (He's not had such a hangover for years).
Gaze locks to gaze; they cannot turn away, He falls into her eyes, she into his, Then there is nothing left to do or say Until they have exchanged a tender kiss.
Now comes her father, thumping up the stairs, The vampire turns, in dreamy half-surprise, Lifting her up, and, overturning chairs, Leaps to the window sill; fire in his eyes.
"You're mine now, little one" She hears him say. One more leap - and she's spirited away.
In Abby's room the shadows slowly spin deforming and re-forming in the air shape-shifting with the subtlety of djinn enveloping her dolls, and tattered bear.
In Abby's room a chair stands up askance revolving in a stately arabesque, grim faces come and go where dust motes dance, as unseen hands open and close the desk.
The door is always locked to Abby's room, All sudden noise is left as unexplained, No cut flowers in this house will ever bloom, Rarely are any house guests entertained.
When darkness writhes, when silence seems to roar, Tread cautiously when passing Abby's door.
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
RECLAIM THE SKY (for Elisabeth Fritzl) Sara L. Russell, May 11th, 2008
Reclaim the sky, the shape of every cloud, The gradient of sunsets, red to gold; Release the thoughts you dared not say aloud, Relinquish fears too terrible to hold.
If we could buy a mansion by the sea With miles of free horizon in full view, Where comorants, like girls' daydreams, fly free, Elisabeth, we'd give it all to you.
You ran away, he dragged you back again - All those who knew were too afraid to say. He built a home of drudgery and pain, Where daydreams never see the light of day.
Through courage you are now at liberty; Reclaim yourself and find serenity.
Pandora Opens The Box by Sara L. Russell aka PinkyAndrexa Pandora slipped her hands onto the lid Merely intending one clandestine peep, And as she lifted, monsters of the id Slowly began arising from their sleep.
Cruelty flew out over less wakeful beasts, Heedless of tortured screams rising from Hell; Diseases followed, with unholy priests And lowly demons, sprung from Satan's well.
They came with noisy, flapping leathern wings, With coils of questing tendrils, seeking prey, All of the most unsavoury of things Crawled, flew or slithered to the light of day.
It seemed that all was lost to evil's shame, Until hope ventured out, to speak her name.
Notes: This sonnet has been quoted a lot in comments on MySpace, not always by people who know me. I like the fact that it made an impression on them, and that they are quoting it to friends.
The Song of Makeda (Makeda, the Queen of Sheba’s reply to The Song of Solomon)
by Sara L. Russell* (Draft #5) 26/03/08, 00:58 (*aka PinkyAndrexa)
Ch. 1.1.
Behold, thou art dark and comely, my love; richly hath the sun favoured thee, delighting in thy presence. Let me savour thy kisses of wine; for in the gardens of the temple the lotus furls open, wild bees fall asleep on her face.
2.
Lilies and jasmine bloom in the garden of my love; falls of wisteria, carpets of thyme. Let us lie in the shade of the olives to gaze on the sky.
3.
For many hours my love slept beneath the cedars, couched on cool swathes of linen, like the Lord of Midnight enthroned on a cloud. Long tresses of willows shivered to cool his face. I called his name but he heard me not, being entranced in slumber, deep in the thrall of dreams; therefore I shall let him awaken when he please.
Ch. 2.4.
A warm breath of nard is my master, my king, A great golden deity haloed with stars. Behold, the noble bearing of a king, the finely-wrought body of a man. In my dearest dreams he standeth before me out of my reach, gesturing for me to follow, calling unto me like the very embodiment of love.
5.
Night comes softly, o daughters of Jerusalem, My king's desirous eyes have grown heavy with sleep. His black hair ripples about his face like curtains of smoke, gold bracelets entice my gaze to the sinews of his arms. Like roses unfurling, so open the lips of my love, I burn for their flavour, yet awaken him not till he please.
Ch. 3.6.
Out of the forest I came, with my maidens and minions; with carpets of hibiscus strewn at my feet. Columns of frankincense curved into the air, burning from lamps of copper and gold. From the broad slopes of Edom my soul's love stopped to observe us. I felt his warm gaze upon me, so soft a look as touched like caresses of hands. I am weary with desire, my lord and king, Bring me the looks of thine eyes, dark as midnight, That regard me with touches of silk.
7.
Though I may stand with my legion before thee, an army behind me, The west wind roars to my left, the east to my right, a million strong with all my banners, warriors and standard-bearers, still my delight were only to serve thee, see how I tremble with awe by thy side.
8.
Behold, my ladies, the noble bearing of a king, the finely-wrought body of a man. My king is a custodian of the sanctity of love, see those arms with the strength to smite yet full of the will to embrace. Nightly cometh he to my chambers, whispering of love, with the stealth of a lion, as meek as a lamb.
Ch. 4.9.
Preparing for my beloved, I have put on my mantle of midnight sky garlanded with stars. My black locks are hung with beads of gold, my neck is anointed with sandalwood and rose. Come, my ladies, Bring me my white chargers, my sedan lined with silks from Lebanon, my heralds and cavalcades of guards; My beloved king awaits my pleasure.
10.
When I am in the embrace of my beloved, He is worlds of landscapes of desire, he is all the earth, air and sky to me. His eyes shineth as my sun and moon, his broad chest becometh as the cool desert dunes by night, where I may rest my head. Go safely in thy dreams, beloved king, with sentinel angels, to roost with the doves.
Ch. 5.11.
Such a turmoil of a dream hath troubled me, my sisters, I dreamed that my love approached my window, Calling unto me through the rosewood trefoils of the lattice. Forgetful of our tryst I answered him not, all oils and fine trappings were put away, mine eyes were full of slumber. When finally I rose from my bed he had gone.
12.
Overwrought and afraid, I went out in the streets, calling unto my beloved, receiving no answer and calling again. The night watchmen came and found me, they smote me and denounced me as pagan, calling me harlot and worshipper of false idols, harshly they beat me with flails and threw me into the darkest cellars of the palace of Solomon.
13.
Awakening at last, I felt a warm breeze, It was my love's breath upon my face. Let all the world suspend in time, let hate, rage and darkness flee as a shadow, otherwise let me die here in the arms of my king. There is but this one hour, one place, in one lingering moment, When my soul's love and I are conjoined in the petals of love.
Ch. 6.14.
Midnight has fallen in the gardens of the temple of Solomon. The moon communes with her sister in the lake, painting the magnolias with mother-of-pearl, turning her buds into silver doves. Passion and beauty intertwine in my love's garden, Like the twisted trunks of the fig trees of Judea. Behold, my beloved, thou art more comely even than the moon. Come and walk with me in the balmy air of night.
15.
Only through the love of another may a soul come to know of itself. My king is mine and I am his; The sun and moon each taketh their turn in the sky, the shepherds go sure-footed over their hills and valleys, the merchants go their ways in the spice markets of Lebanon, while he and I are lost in one another's eyes.
Ch. 7.
16.
Love's weariness hath overcome me, beloved lord and king. Bring me thy pleasant fruits, thy tender words, Lie betwixt my breasts; my hair shall be thy curtain, these arms shall be as thy cocoon. Let the tides cease their turning and the winds give pause to hold their breath. Awaken not my dearest love, until he please.
17.
Even in sleep, such beautiful eyes hath my beloved; his eyelashes rest upon his cheek like the feet of a butterfly on a lily. Come, my sisters, we shall make him a bed of hemp and poppies, with fruit of the lotus, that he may languish beside me for many days and nights.
Ch. 8.18.
Filling my days and dreams, here is a man with the grace of a young hart, whose honeyed voice speaketh mantras of desire. Arise and follow me, beloved, for my vineyards are ripe with luscious fruits, the doves beat their wings and fly from the cots. Emerging from the amber of sunrise, with a swirling of veils, summer dances into the season of our love.
19.
Lying amid the twisting vines My love and I are deep in each other's embrace and his lips taste of roses heavy with dew. I am a queen of the Red Sea, an orchid from a sacred garden, and my kingdom reacheth to the farthest hills. None but my love shall pass the boundary where my vines bear the sweetest fruit, nor taste their heady wine.
20.
The gates of my vineyard are wrought of iron clad with gold, taller than cedars, decorated with the royal insignia, guarded by three score watchmen, by day and night. While other men are kept without and the foxes are driven back by dogs, see how swiftly they open for thee.
Ch. 9.21.
Behold, the noble stature of a king, the finely-wrought body of a man. In the sanctity of love we may walk in the realm of paradise, undisturbed by the foibles of men. Come beloved, awaken, the new dawn opens as wide and fresh as infant eyes. Come run with me through the spice hills and gardens of Lebanon.
