the road was a dusty grey
in the early morning light
shadowed by a thick fog
quiet with late summer breeze
his footloose wandering had brought him
through all the long years
and all the long miles
to this strange place

the old wood fence
broken down in places was
all that separated from the woods
cool and rich with the scents of summer
and it looked like a wonderful place
to take his rest from midday sun

so sat neith a tall oak
has his supper and did fall fast asleep
lulled by the warm summer day
and he dreamed

a dream of all the worlds wonders
dream of loving warm things that give the heart ease

he woke well after the sun had fled
to a forest strangely silent
to a foreboding to chill to the soul
he cast about seeking the source of ill-ease
but nothing there was so it seemed

deep in distance he began to perceive
the small sound of a woman's voice singing soft an sweet
drawing near
and he could see distant light moving through
the trees
drawing near
and he did marvel at the ideal of sweet maiden
coming to ease him
so sweet was the sounds of her approach
he had only thought of beauty
only had thought of lusts
but narrow is the edge of reality we perceive
and swift is reality's vengeance for the unguarded heart

and then he saw her
and swore within his heart that he was in love
so fair was her face
so enticing was her form
so he was ensnared
so he was doomed
she is a siren of the dark wood
her fair face hides the sharp teeth of her viper heart
her fair figure hides her dark nature
she fell upon him
and murdered poor traveler without even a thought
left his bare bones to dry in the morning sun

the dark wood
contains many things to chill the soul
but none so gruesome
as the fair maiden