~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~
Yet, I admit, feel a tad uninspired.
So I gently wave my hand towards
two handmaids. Essha, a musician
uses her nimble fingers to play the
Harp with other, Semui who plays
the flute, together creating a true
aurelian tune.

~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~
There is so much ahead that my eyes
can see. Rings of still, clear waters
around the green hills of near and
far. Guards patrolling the high walls
of my borders, Knights riding horses
into my people's town. How it warms
me to see them all smiling and laughing,
going about their daily business.

~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~
A brethren of sweet lilies in the
vase shyly bob their heads, pouting
their rosy lips which I gently stroke.
Violets coiled around the bare feet of
the caryatids, and pots of bluebells
and dahlias by my own slippered
feet.

~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~
My star-kissed diadem, though
resting on my curls, is caressed by
the light as I turn my face towards
the horizon. Deer dance in the shade
of pure green, leaping over the silver
streams, that murmur tales and
secrets they hold within.

~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~
And by the docks of my Aurelinaea,
are many argosies with wooden
bellies and creamy sails with many
imports; of silks and velvets, satins
and eiderdown; apricots and apples,
plums and peaches, honeys, jams,
syrups and jellies from fruits and
flowers to heaps of sugars and spices,
make-up, jewels, flower-bulbs and
perfumes.

~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~
And my personal favourites - a great
assemblage of teas; herbal and cream,
drinks and oils as well as an assortment
of old tomes, Analects and books. I have
a dream that mine own library would
rival the fabled one of the once great
Alexandria.
~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~

~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~
But I am relieved.
Not being confined in bright velvets
of the West, or shimmering silks of
the East. Each hand-stitched with
animals and flowers, crystals and
furs, with gold and silver to
parade around in Court.

~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~
I find far more splendour in a simple
iris-purple kimono-robe, lightweight,
silk-satin and printed with lilies with
a pink silk trim. It strokes my ankles,
and the sleeves, they billow; the sash
firmly fastened around my waist.

~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~
My handmaid, Ilazi, presents a gilded
bowl with the purest form of fruits -
the ones that were rain-washed. I have
a variety to choose from - strawberries,
blueberries, peaches, green, red and
black grapes which I pick and nibble
on. Hmm, a succulent balance of
sweetness and ****.

~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~
And then my senior handmaid, Anihana,
arrives with a tray in hand, clearly made
from stainless steel with rose-gold accents.
'Sweet Queen,' says she. At the wave of my
hand, the music stops. 'Forgive me for
keeping you waiting. I know how particular
you are with your pearls so I narrowed
them to your favourite three choices.'

~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~
'Thank you,' I say and as I lean up, she
presents three cream-hued scrolls.
'Lists,' says she, 'of all the ship's
inventory. Would you like to
inspect them, my lady?'
'I will after some tea, Ainhana,
thank you.'

~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~
Anihana nods and moves by my side
as my eyes fall on the tray's contents.
A small silver five-minute sand-timer,
a glass teapot with bamboo handle,
an infuser and steel lid half filled
with hot water; steam dancing
out of the spout. Then, a lovely
glass teacup, one of the most
beautiful I've seen yet.
~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~

~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~
After days of long studies comes the
days of rest. My violet dreams were
slumber-soft filled with lucent lilies
of curling flames born of ever colour
known and unknown. And I stood
in awe of them as my fears fall back
and cower in the shades of my mind.

~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~
I muse at how quickly my body
relaxed. Due to my marjoram'd
pillows and sheets of pure silk
and eiderdown? Or due to the
sips of the lavender tea in my in
my teacup decorated with a
butterfly motif?

~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~
I remember the sips in fours as
I blew the steam from my cup;
The first sip balmed my lips.
The second soothed my throat.
The third lulled my thoughts.
The fourth stilled my soul.

~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~
Though the tea, the pillow and
sheets were had a hand in my nightly
rest, the real answer is on my brow -
for it was when the night's cool air
blew, and where you placed your
sweet Morphean kiss.

~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~
With a smile, I wake.
Sat on my golden summer throne
located in my marble gazebo; a
jewel in my private garden. With
thin caryatid pillars, draped in
fine doric chitons encircling me.
Their sculpted limbs hold up the
frieze carved with acanthus
that has a stained glass top of
peacocks and stargazers.

~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~
The sheer curtains billow when
the eastern winds blow. By me, a
gold side table with a mirrored top
supported by three Greek key legs.
A pewter quill pen with a steel nib
and violet feather rests by its clay
inkpot; both beside a silver sinuous
nouveau vase and a small stack of
poetry books of black leather and
gilt.
~ ⚘ ⚪ ⚘ ~

I was the Goddess and you were a mortal
yet I was the one who followed you
like a supplicant

night after night
I left my bedchamber
& the demiGod in deep slumber on my bed

swathed in the shrouds of darkness
I kept coming to worship you
quotidianly

but it wasn't enough
for you were never satiated
even after reaping all that I possessed

and trying to make an immortal out of you
is now obliterating the light
within my heart's eyes

thence go back to your realm
you can't dwell in mine no longer
& my knees can't kiss the hassock anymore

crushed faeries transformed into glitter
giant dragons tears leaving bitter
tastes on her tongue, like a blackberry
every delicate wing of each faery
fluttering across her cheek
like butterfly kisses of a lover
giant scarred eyes closely watching one another
hearts riddled with marks of the past
long, torn scars meant to last
unicorn horn dust erasing the memories
little bonsai tree, only seventeen
her emerald jewel eyes sparkling with a fire
fueled by her lover, a self proclaimed liar
a path forged by the dragons breath
where she decided she had enough
glitter sprinkling her long-coming note
sparkling tears that fell as she wrote
"this is for my unrequited love,
this is me rising above,
goodbye my life, my world, my lover
goodbye to those that hurt me...
like my brother and mother
thank you for the opportunity but I just don't belong here
I belong with the faeries of my dreams and the deers"
P.M. 9/10/17

Unwanted glory,
All of it was so gory,
And I am so sorry.

Why that day came,
And why I survived,
I do not know either.

It is as if I chose dear life,
Of the two choices there,
Now I doubt my choice.

There is no happiness,
And there is no sorrow,
Neither happy nor sad.

Unrequited love I dispensed,
How long will it take for me,
Always I repent after loving.

They ask me my story,
I tell them my saga,
Of love & suffering.

Then they get bored,
Too dreamy a story,
They take it all as fiction.

Darkness avenges light and swallows it up.
A burning sun dies,
melting in a horizon where orange flames mold with stars.
Shadows awaken and roam a world.
A black cloud is studded with blazing stalks;
swaying and jumping throughout the dark.
An exquisite pearl rules a sky.

Slowly and on toes...*
Secrets are born,
masks of empty smiles and eyes fall
tearing flesh and bones;
and what we thought as mythical creatures are shed,
awakening the truest nature of souls.