Death and the Maiden

By Claire L. Smith

With a long, limp body,

She lays on her throne with her locks flowing down her alter,

Undead but mortally sick,

The hunger keeps her a monster.

 

Wide, black wings cascade her face,

A feathered fiend landing on her hunched shoulder.

As hungry and desperate as she,

He pierces her neck for a feed.

 

Drowsed and bitter, she allowed him a sip,

A last moment of thrill before she clasped him in her grip,

She drank until her meal grew cold,

Fuelling her addition and beating her soul.

 

With a reactive sickness she tossed him across the floor,

Watching death’s winged messenger wither,

With an empty sigh, her lips grew dry,

The begging desire for more.

 

Parting her vision,

There came a white glisten,

Another flock of feathers landing on her opposite limb,

It’s tiny, pure vessel a glowing admission.

 

She watched in a darkened awe,

As in the dove’s beady eyes she saw,

Nothing but a bloodied empty throne,

Surrounded by rusting raven bones.

 

She gasped as she was torn from its gaze,

Leaving her abandoned on her broken throne,

Fluttering up into the banisters,

It’s white cloak a vison of the sun she’s forgotten.

 

Stretching her torn, leathery wings,

Desperation lifted her from her throne.

The white dove fluttering metres in front,

She beat hard in hopes of arriving home.

 

Blind in her new form,

Exhausted from a century-long game,

She pushed and strained,

Shadowing the white flicker of light.

 

With every beating flap her hunger returned,

Draining her until she drifted down towards the windowpane.

It landed beside her, cooing in concern as she lay beaten and afraid,

Before nudging with his tiny, pearly beak to gesture forward.

 

The sunrise beamed a milky, smooth mix of pinks and yellow,

Warming them with an encouraging glow.

She felt the fresh breeze trickle the rim of her wings,

A final woo to whisk her out of the gloom.

With a long, limp body,

She lays on her throne with her locks flowing down her alter,

Undead but mortally sick,

The hunger keeps her a monster.

 

Wide, black wings cascade her face,

A feathered fiend landing on her hunched shoulder.

As hungry and desperate as she,

He pierces her neck for a feed.

 

Drowsed and bitter, she allowed him a sip,

A last moment of thrill before she clasped him in her grip,

She drank until her meal grew cold,

Fuelling her addition and beating her soul.

 

With a reactive sickness she tossed him across the floor,

Watching death’s winged messenger wither,

With an empty sigh, her lips grew dry,

The begging desire for more.

 

Parting her vision,

There came a white glisten,

Another flock of feathers landing on her opposite limb,

It’s tiny, pure vessel a glowing admission.

 

She watched in a darkened awe,

As in the dove’s beady eyes she saw,

Nothing but a bloodied empty throne,

Surrounded by rusting raven bones.

 

She gasped as she was torn from its gaze,

Leaving her abandoned on her broken throne,

Fluttering up into the banisters,

It’s white cloak a vison of the sun she’s forgotten.

 

Stretching her torn, leathery wings,

Desperation lifted her from her throne.

The white dove fluttering metres in front,

She beat hard in hopes of arriving home.

 

Blind in her new form,

Exhausted from a century-long game,

She pushed and strained,

Shadowing the white flicker of light.

 

With every beating flap her hunger returned,

Draining her until she drifted down towards the windowpane.

It landed beside her, cooing in concern as she lay beaten and afraid,

Before nudging with his tiny, pearly beak to gesture forward.

 

The sunrise beamed a milky, smooth mix of pinks and yellow,

Warming them with an encouraging glow.

She felt the fresh breeze trickle the rim of her wings,

A final woo to whisk her out of the gloom.

Claire L. Smith is an Australian author, poet, screenwriter and artist. Her creative work has been featured in Luna Luna Magazine, Mookychick, Anti-Heroin Chic and Moonchild Magazine. Her essays promoting gender equality has been featured in Business Woman Media, Mookychick, NerdVanaTV and A Woman’s Thing. She is also an official contributor to Outlet Magazine.

A full list of Claire’s work can be found here.