Re: Black Islands / Will Dockery

Will Dockery wrote:

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Black Islands
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Time stood still on the Black Islands
fog swirled around the castle
surrounded by darkness and slime.
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Across the swamp from the castle
was the hillside it overlooks
green trees, mushrooms, peacocks.
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The forest beyond was saturated
with the dampness of reptilian eyes
the wind moaned in the tall oaks.
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A lonely peddler made his humble way
silently along a narrow muddy road
the cloudy sky gurgled and roared.
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Up in the tower glowed a candle light
as beggars in the street below cried for food
to take home to starving families.
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Deep below the ground were shadows
constantly at sleep and waiting
for the signals of Zhuam.
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Derebro stood in his tower silently
watching the green hillside soaking
as the rain tumbles down in a flood.
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His stony black eyes cut the space
his ebony man fell across his shoulders
wrinkled grey skin hid the pain.
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The hillsides once glowed in anger
before that they glowed in bright peace
that ended with pain, screams and blood.
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Hidden in a shack somewhere was Zverkov
silently waiting to reclaim what was his
his pain was generated by love.
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His babies were dead
his wife even worse
the henchmen of Derebro struck hard.
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His memories twisted back to a time
when his family toiled on the hillsides.
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It was a cold life even then
but it was the life that he loved.
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Drawing slowly closer to a moonlit shore
across the rolling black waters
was a silent stealthy galley on the sea.
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A lone stranger stood on the decks
holding his bloodstained blade
his face like stone under the silver moon.
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He was acting like a judge
and he was sailing to the trial
unnaturally resigned to his vengeful doom.
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The silence he preserved by his thoughts
was shattered only by the wash of the waves
as the cloudy sky rolled in the night.
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Streetlamps flickered in the cold village
left over snow lingers sluggishly
they dance like candles at a funeral.
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Zverkov in a grey cloak waited at the docks
for the stranger to arrive
for the darkness to be lifted
for blood to splash on the walls.
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Zverkov lay on the docks in a pool of blood
with several stab wounds in the back
he died a quick unexpected death.
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Derebro rode away in a coach
chuckling as he wiped his blade
as the chilly wind blew back his hair.
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Back to his castle maddened horse galloped
down narrow muddy rods
a feeling of closure now in his heart.
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The tower stood against the silvery moon
and the rolling splashing grey sky.
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He sent down to the dungeon for Liza
to tell her the fate of her husband
and to occupy the rest of his night.
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While below the earth was a trembling
called forth by a man on the shore
a man in command of vengeful shadows.
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Demented voiced demon with a voice like silver ice
Zhaum stood vengefully burning with rage
calling shadows to awaken with laughter.
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The swamp throbbed now like a heartbeat
the hillside bloomed with poison flowers
slimy creatures began to feed on them.
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The forest was alive with screams
bats circled in the sky
the wind howled with blowing rain.
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Inside the tower Liza lay ravished
victim of Derebro's fierce sodomy
the candles beside the bed had gone dark.
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Derebro stood on the ridge
looking down at the man on the shore
his eyes were afire as he awaited his trial.
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-Will Dockery / September 1977

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Another good read of a timeless favorite...