a l l * a t *s e a (wolf part five)

Shite goes the day, the wind cuts deep
St Jude be at our prow,
Young Ardent steers his Barque Black Sheep
Through icebergs and fog’s clouds.
Hoarfrost on rails, on rigging, sails,
Ice covered by salt rime
The witch wind blows, ship onward goes
Will landfall be in time ?
“Cap’n , is the cargo of our sloop
Pannikins of Gloucester soup,
And from fair France fresh cantaloupes,
And antique dresses, ribbed and hooped ?”
“Oo arr, me shipmates that be so
And as diplomatic missions go
This one really is top hole:
Shadow gifts for the queen of snow.
So keep eyes skinned, or we’ll be lost
Hands off that bloody albatross,
You know what happens if you do
Or shall I read “the rhyme” to you?”
(Short interlude while the rhyme is read,
Then ship sails on, crew now in dread)

 
Silence, wind drops, from all around
Come distant waves and other sounds
Not just the seas’ hissing surround
But harbingers of solid ground.
Creak of rowlocks, splash of oars
A boat is lowered and heads for shore,
With melons, soup and other stores
(Some I mentioned here before)
A crunch as boat strikes frosted sand,
Then boat is tugged up on to land
Ardent takes spyglass in hand
And wonders what is next at hand
The mist parts somewhat and he sees
On distant headland a figure stand
So still and stern in icy breeze
Her furs part, she waves a hand.
She speaks; the wind steals half her words
Ardent watched rapt yet cold,
As round her looms a reindeer herd,
His heart is lost; he’s bought and sold.
Gifts are piled up on her sled
As inland our hero is lead
To where the queen has her abode
In this far land of ice and snow.
“So you’re the Captain of Black Sheep?”
Her voice into his heart did creep
And by accent, lust did touch
Pure Canuck with a touch of Dutch.
“Many say they’ll come to see,
Myself in icy Majesty,
But, Ardent, you have won the race,
So is there beauty in this wild place?”
Ardent, smiles and his reply
Brought forth from Queen a happy sigh.
“ Although the ice is fair to view
It cannot be compared to you,
Though both the ice and your sweet eyes
Do shimmer, shine and flash pale green,
Only one has passion’s fire inside
And they belong to you, dread queen.
And though the winter here bites deep
It cannot begin to compare
To how I have been bitten, sweet
By frosty jewels hung in your hair.”
“ I expected nothing less”
Says the Ice Queen to her guest
But you have caused me some unrest
So, on Queen’s Command, undress
He takes his clothes off, and she picks up
, A wolf pelt from her store
And wraps the stunned explorer up
And guides him to the floor

“and so we’ve met,I now begin

to wake the wolf beneath your skin

with incantations and old charms,

turn flesh to fur within my arms

pursuing the passions of my kind

I open locks within your mind

Your cage door drops, new smells emerge,

You sense the hunt and feel the urge

Blue to yellow turned,eyes ,senses wake

New games to play and pacts to make

Now ,my changleling, you will whore

Yourself to me,,freedoms’ reward”

Some kisses done, a spell is cast
And to the Ice Queen’s bed
Where once a man had stood before
A wolf is lead instead.

The witch awakes first,and sated, stares

 

She strokes his hair, and finds shes cares
Then man awakes, and sighs “what a dream
as wolf I loved this queen”

Memory snaps into place / a thousand nerve endings and memories call him to full waking shock / I did ? With her ? As what..gasps, gasps again…sees no hatred in the instigator, just calm and deep memory

What new pleasured tortured sin

is this, to take you in another’s skin ?

hang expectations, use your damned charms

let me back between your arsm

Gently gently, Ardent, friend
For this may kill you in the end
Too many times in my wolf’s pelt
And you will sadly lose yourself

Ardent listened to her speech
Walked to his Captain’s clothes
And threw them far out of his reach
and holding pelt he rose

Her amused voice then held a whips’ crack

Don’t be a fool, take your clothes back,

You wear this pelt ? you lose all choice

To think or speak in human voice.

I like you human, I love the gaps

and cherish your uncertainty

 Between your feelings and yours acts

Though will not now say you’re dear to me

Take up your clothes, that skin is mine

 another love left it behind,

You may wear it when I chose,

Your human doubt becometh you

Ardent raged , heard what was said

And , returning to the Snow Queen’s bed

Whispered to her icily:

As Wolf I felt such certainty

There was no maybe, but or if

No good manners, just pure greed,

Caught in midstream by feral myth,

There was no doubt at all, just need

No wasted energies, no fuss

Direct engagement to wild lust,

Just teeth, just tongue, just gaping jaws

Bequivered skin and grasping paws

Slavering ,on heat, afire

No manners to ask you how it was

Just white pure skin to quench desire

And as to why, well, just because.

The Queen smiled as Ardent spoke

And laughed as if at private joke.

Dear lover, lupine thoughts’ no use to me

I desire your odd humanity

If you can woo me, if you can swear

That I am the dearest love to you

Maybe the pelt I’ll let you wear

If to me you can be true

I am no country girl or whore

To tup behind some old barn door

These are my lands you walk upon

One fingers’ click and you’d be gone

But I may let you, after feasts

wear his skin and come to me

To treat me as you would a beast

And leave behind humanity

But after, lover, shed his hide

And hold me ,read me poetry

Do things I’ve only heard described

In books read from across far seas

Ardent looked again and saw

 

Behind the icy queen’s façade

a fearless girl’s heart yearn for love

to stay here would not be so hard.