As always
The sky is painted grey
Which caused a solemn drone to spill out on to the trees below
The bark of these is streaked with a terra cotta smear,
My skin
And the pitter patter of rain matches the tempo of
The pitter patter of my feet matches the
Tones of the sod and clay
I am running
Away and towards
The cloaked man and refuge, respectfully

//


The cloaked man approached me in slumber
His voice- static and void of inflection- draped over my body and stung my flesh with the sensation of poison.


//

Stripped of light,
I ran into the fleeting night
In hopes of gathering my bearings
I cast my eyes to Great Polaris
And began to sing
"Oh Grand Astra!
This I beg of Thee,
Dissolve this fog that I again may see!"
And from thistle and thorn emerged the cloaked man,
Grinning a malevolent grin
His stare laden with sin
He spake
"Can't you see you belong to me?
I have brought you knowledge and I have brought you gain,
But you run, and now all you'll feel is pain."
And he broke my arms.
As I writhed in agony,
I called to the Northern Star,
And he pulled at my jaw until it was off.
He stuck an arrow in my lungs so that I would shut up,
But I would not.
With every gasp I cried out,
And he tore out my tongue.
He left me to die to return to the soil and sod.