CAROLINA FANTASY, 1866

[jim turner]

Velvet gloved, that night, and April voiced,
it whispered leaf songs with a pine-spiced,
satin breath, wine crisp upon the lips,
electric on the skin. Spring rain leaned near.
Under a moon, scared petrel clouds hushed by,
clutching at shredded cloaks of leaden light,
silenced, marbling the mercury sky, mustering...
Mute shadows patched the earth's worn pewter quilt
with charcoal.
When the fitful, firefly moon
looked through their broken ranks, it found two strangers--
nameless shapes, faint images guessed in faded
photographs: his elbows locked on the fence;
her feet perched on a granite slab, set free
of brazen serpents taking mice, she feared,
from the meadow grass. She curbed the sky's panic.
"How nimbly our old moon skates! And the clouds
stand. They're fat black cows, wondering what we are."
Far lightning flared; spent thunder nudged the night.
"Cows? Whose eyes play tricks? Mine shape–other things.
If they be not clouds, I could call their names.
Thank God they don't ride hurt. We'd see red rain!"
Thin laughter veiled the breaking in her throat.
"How could you know so many sooty birds?
And can you catch them? Try." She reached. Her ring
glanced bits of starlight her fingers caught.
"Nope, be foolish to try. But my plantin's done.
I reckon we'll not starve. First thing, daybreak,
I'll see to the house.
From its ashen face
crazed windows stared. Her muslin curtains stirred
old silk dreams, waltz-whirled in a silver glass.
"Look! They change. How clean they sweep the hillside.
Run, quick and fetch one. I do need a broom."
"I'm game enough, I'd say, but so's my leg.
Kept me from riding with them once before.
Just lame enough for following a plow–
not them. He flapped an arm.
"Then mind your fence.
I'll fly and fetch my own."
"Ah, now you're vexed!
What's taken you tonight? Brooms! Birds! Fat cows!
What next? You'd be a witch? Scare all those ghosts
from the night?"
"Them? Oh, yes! I will bewitch
them all. I'll banish them tonight
and forever. You'll see no more of them."
"Ah, they don't mind us, and they'll haunt
Aprils you and I will never see.
They sniff at blood pawned here. To feed our corn."
She shivered. Warmth stole through her folded arms.
"Come now, you're chilled. We best go in. The rain..."
"Ne'er mind. I'll come. And I'll be witch no more"
She twisted on the path and searched back, once.
In her bewildered eyes, like that doomed glow
before the storm drew darkness on the land,
enchantment and quicksilver laughter drowned,
and raindrops broke themselves upon a stone.

Jim

[hester_prynne]

I enjoyed reading this.
It's like reading a sculpture.
Excellent.
H