Lost Love

C.J. Carter-Stephenson

Originally published in The Stray Branch, Volume 2, Issue 5.

A whirling demon
With a heart of fire,
An emotional vampire
That feeds on desire.
Enticing him
Her love to try,
She then proceeds
To drain him dry
Of a raging torrent
Of glorious passion.
She leaves him asleep
In a heap on the ground
In a musty chamber
The color of blood,
Where rows of
Ancient portraits frown
In cold contempt
On his prostrate form.

As he slumbers
His subconscious drowns
In dreams of a mountain
Shrouded in mist,
Where elusive spirits
Speak in whispers
Of she who ensnared him
With her tender kiss.
By the time he awakes,
She is long since fled,
But something else
Awaits in her stead -
A heart bereft
Of the power of love,
A shattered faith
In the powers above.
He's forced to confront
A fathomless void,
Having now become
A man devoid
Of the greatest gift
That life bestows.
What words can describe
Love's celestial blaze?
What pain can match
The eclipse of its rays?

He takes his leave
Of the somber temple
With its sap laden cloak
Of tangled vines.
His face has turned
A ghastly white,
His green eyes sparkle
Feverish and bright.
He laughs manically
At the bitter wind
That rustles the leaves
On the shivering branches.
Ambling through
A chaotic sea
Of formless shadows
And soaring trees,
He studies the hair
That sprouts from his palms.

He reaches the shores
Of a lonely lake
Where crystal waters
Cool and deep
Reflect the sun
In multifarious hues.
He sinks to his knees,
In the eerie perfection
And bends to study
His shimmering reflection.
Playful ripples
Dance on the water,
Forming a hazy,
But heady picture
Of a fiery meteor
Streaking through space -
The very embodiment
Of glory and grace.
He sees his future
In its burning light,
His relentless search
For she who took flight.
Something tells him
He will seek in vain,
And yet his resolve
Will always remain.
Through the years,
He will pursue his goal,
Though suicidal thoughts
Haunt his soul.

Poetry Divider.

The right of C. J. Carter-Stephenson to be identified as the writer of this poem has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author, or a license permitting restricted copying.