It sat upon Virginia’s shore
stalked by the sea,
it’s lichen pale with salt
bark that broke the sand,
a haggard frame stark against
the last horizon land.

The butchered stumps contaminate
a hacked and broken field,
their sapwood leaking silence,
the birds atop them mute,
crowned with their annual rings
of righteous guilt and root.

But there it waits branded by
the blight of unknown fear,
a desolation beacon
when the other trees were cleared,

by then it was decided
what pilgrim eyes would see
CROATOAN
scratched into the tree.

There was a town beyond the woods,
Ne’er there any water stood,
Alas, a Well, of the purest kind,
The aquifer under, is here described,
Beyond a thousand gallons under
The diamond-esque rubble and sunder.
But one bucket, at but one time,
Kind, the town, taking turns of rhyme,
This essence, used to bathe and cook,
To drink, to create, a cozy nook.
-
The happy town, the gorgeous shire,
The crops grown there as green as Ire,
No law exists, they live but civilly,
A fetching, quiet community,
But always there exists a one,
Who would want power, want this undone,
So it was said regretfully,
Poisoned their Well, emotionless he.
-
Now this village was quite secluded,
No one not there born, ne’er intruded,
Deep in the forest, behind a mountain,
Over a peak, under a cloudy curtain,
It existed in secret and abolition,
And one did seek its demolition,
Knowing the only flaw to here exist,
The essence of life, no man resists.
-
He crept at night, while the guard did sleep,
Promising the pure water to weep,
Dropping the genocide with bucket and crane,
Releasing its Demonic Alchemic Strain,
The Well did hiss as the poison moaned,
Recoiling at this unwanted drone,
The assailant then brought to his steady lips,
A cup and was first to take Devil’s Kiss.
-
On the morrow of the mentioned crime,
Busy bodies awoke to start the day’s time,
Queuing at bucket and awaiting turns,
Each family there a portion yearned,
Not one did from the water strafe,
Each then bathed, then drank, unsafe,
No one could tell different taste,
Water is water, but not today.
-
The plague did start like any disease,
Sore throat, fever, stopped nose, displeased,
The people sought the witchdoctor,
But he from bed, would rise no longer,
He caught ill too, and wouldn’t budge,
Afraid for his life, afraid of this grudge,
He knew this sickness, had heard before,
But told no one, the end was sure.
-
In a week, vomiting and nausea,
Nasal passages sealed, no nostalgia
Brought to memory of any like sickness,
The virus brought about decrepit afflictions,
But slowly and steady, worse and worse,
The people became, some saw the course
But kept silent, to avoid alerting,
The so many children in need of comforting.
-
In two weeks’ time, the pathogen,
Had taken wits of sensible men,
At night, they screamed in somber fright,
Their deepest fears, real now, and bright,
The lutes died out, the bards not singing,
An unfortunate time, but this was only beginning.
-
Fingernails rotting off at the cuticle,
Too much blood for any receptacle,
Leprositic, the fingers came next,
One by one, extremities hexed,
Children lost their legs to run,
From mothers’ faces rotted, undone,
In every other step, heard were bones breaking,
Kneecaps cracked open, shins splintering,
Eyes turned cadaverous, awake, but not seeing,
Cataracts formed, blinded from viral being,
In cradles were witnessed toddlers there suffering,
Their mothers watched with empty sockets, but listening
To the cries impossible to stifle,
The pain too much for these tiny disciples.
The dogs normally to their masters zealous,
Became of them mortally jealous.
They bit the hands that fed them well,
For watering them from the cryptic Well.
Men watched their sons dive right under,
The bridge that harnessed a valley of blunder
Hundreds of feet above sharp rocks and stumps,
Their namesakes leaped, impaled in clumps,
For those lucky enough to still have eyes,
Cried tears of acid for images despised
Sickness was spewed upon the walls,
Entrails adorned the Gathering Halls,
Some had turned to mutilation,
Blood-letting for some, abomination,
Some crazed enough to “cure” themselves,
Clawed throat and stomach til flesh dissolved,
Some rich with elixir tried to embezzle,
Upon some of the poor, tired and grizzled,
Riot broke out amongst the walking dead
Fortune or lack of, irrelevant,
Black pustules broke out that looked Bubonic,
But the cure for that failed, how ironic,
That it rather hastened the steadfast curse,
Faster than iambic verse,
Molecules turned to embryo,
Rising like a great Pharaoh,
They became flesh parasites,
Taking internal organs, slow and precise,
They started with the liver and spleen,
So there lasted hours of wretched screams,
The intestines of some would close and then
Becoming septic, they passed, bile in stem,
A few had throats seeming cauterized,
Friends watched friends closest, strangle alive,
There were in fact, some optimists,
Among them, talk of being “rid of this”,
They too died while clutching life,
Endeavoring their eternal flight,
From noses, there dripped blackened murk,
Thicker than combined oil and dirt,
It then secreted as sweat from all pores,
Fatigue then struck those left to the floor.
Upon broken knees some prayed,
Usually the skin under ribs was flayed,
Trying to understand what went wrong,
Dissecting the dead was not headstrong,
It only furthered viral progression,
The open corpses breathing infection,
The cadavers would move still, the fleshbugs active,
The horror of lifeless movement, corrosive,
The minds of the weak, it pure happenstance,
One found eating dead flesh for a cure, no chance.
All in all, this lingering curiosity,
Provided once good people with animosity,
One man turned good people to hate,
Their neighbors in ways that were irate.
-
The chaos was not anarchy,
For, as I said,
It was civilly,
But verily, I do decree,
That no one knew such misery,
The inhabitants of this village,
Did not suspect innocent visage,
Or perhaps, their cherished Well.
To be culprit behind this hell
So they drank and drank to remedy,
To recompense this malady,
To no avail did blood get thicker,
Alas, they got but sicker and sicker.
-
This hell, the townsfolk then realized,
Wouldn’t end til they all were nullified,
Eliminated they were, eradicated at that,
This pathogenic virus had verily spat
In the faces of the people here,
Decimated they were, not quenching their fear,
Murdered they were by a systematic
Suicidal psychopathic,
Inflamed in the mind of darkness thereafter,
Only satisfied by his own laughter.
Not many, til now, know of this town,
From lowly peasant, to “Godly” Crown.
An explorer found the deserted hamlet,
Body parts and questions then found the hermit,
He had heard of a town like this, he wrote:
“It was a new age Roanoke…”
But the village, not a town to cause commotion,
All that was left of them, a tree scratched, “CROATOAN”.

тнere wαѕ α тowɴ вeyoɴd тнe woodѕ,
ɴe’er тнere αɴy wαтer ѕтood,
αlαѕ, α well, oғ тнe pυreѕт ĸιɴd,
тнe αqυιғer υɴder, ιѕ нere deѕcrιвed,
вeyoɴd α тнoυѕαɴd ɢαlloɴѕ υɴder
тнe dιαмoɴd-eѕqυe rυввle αɴd ѕυɴder.
вυт oɴe вυcĸeт, αт вυт oɴe тιмe,
ĸιɴd, тнe тowɴ, тαĸιɴɢ тυrɴѕ oғ rнyмe,
тнιѕ eѕѕeɴce, υѕed тo вαтнe αɴd cooĸ,
тo drιɴĸ, тo creαтe, α cozy ɴooĸ.
-
тнe нαppy тowɴ, тнe ɢorɢeoυѕ ѕнιre,
тнe cropѕ ɢrowɴ тнere αѕ ɢreeɴ αѕ ιre,
ɴo lαw eхιѕтѕ, тнey lιve вυт cιvιlly,
α ғeтcнιɴɢ, qυιeт coммυɴιтy,
вυт αlwαyѕ тнere eхιѕтѕ α oɴe,
wнo woυld wαɴт power, wαɴт тнιѕ υɴdoɴe,
ѕo ιт wαѕ ѕαιd reɢreтғυlly,
poιѕoɴed тнeιr well, eмoтιoɴleѕѕ нe.
-
ɴow тнιѕ vιllαɢe wαѕ qυιтe ѕeclυded,
ɴo oɴe ɴoт тнere вorɴ, ɴe’er ιɴтrυded,
deep ιɴ тнe ғoreѕт, вeнιɴd α мoυɴтαιɴ,
over α peαĸ, υɴder α cloυdy cυrтαιɴ,
ιт eхιѕтed ιɴ ѕecreт αɴd αвolιтιoɴ,
αɴd oɴe dιd ѕeeĸ ιтѕ deмolιтιoɴ,
ĸɴowιɴɢ тнe oɴly ғlαw тo нere eхιѕт,
тнe eѕѕeɴce oғ lιғe, ɴo мαɴ reѕιѕтѕ.
-
нe crepт αт ɴιɢнт, wнιle тнe ɢυαrd dιd ѕleep,
proмιѕιɴɢ тнe pυre wαтer тo weep,
droppιɴɢ тнe ɢeɴocιde wιтн вυcĸeт αɴd crαɴe,
releαѕιɴɢ ιтѕ deмoɴιc αlcнeмιc ѕтrαιɴ,
тнe well dιd нιѕѕ αѕ тнe poιѕoɴ мoαɴed,
recoιlιɴɢ αт тнιѕ υɴwαɴтed droɴe,
тнe αѕѕαιlαɴт тнeɴ вroυɢнт тo нιѕ ѕтeαdy lιpѕ,
α cυp αɴd wαѕ ғιrѕт тo тαĸe devιl’ѕ ĸιѕѕ.
-
oɴ тнe мorrow oғ тнe мeɴтιoɴed crιмe,
вυѕy вodιeѕ αwoĸe тo ѕтαrт тнe dαy’ѕ тιмe,
qυeυιɴɢ αт вυcĸeт αɴd αwαιтιɴɢ тυrɴѕ,
eαcн ғαмιly тнere α porтιoɴ yeαrɴed,
ɴoт oɴe dιd ғroм тнe wαтer ѕтrαғe,
eαcн тнeɴ вαтнed, тнeɴ drαɴĸ, υɴѕαғe,
ɴo oɴe coυld тell dιғғereɴт тαѕтe,
wαтer ιѕ wαтer, вυт ɴoт тodαy.
-
тнe plαɢυe dιd ѕтαrт lιĸe αɴy dιѕeαѕe,
ѕore тнroαт, ғever, ѕтopped ɴoѕe, dιѕpleαѕed,
тнe people ѕoυɢнт тнe wιтcнdocтor,
вυт нe ғroм вed, woυld rιѕe ɴo loɴɢer,
нe cαυɢнт ιll тoo, αɴd woυldɴ’т вυdɢe,
αғrαιd ғor нιѕ lιғe, αғrαιd oғ тнιѕ ɢrυdɢe,
нe ĸɴew тнιѕ ѕιcĸɴeѕѕ, нαd нeαrd вeғore,
вυт тold ɴo oɴe, тнe eɴd wαѕ ѕυre.
-
ιɴ α weeĸ, voмιтιɴɢ αɴd ɴαυѕeα,
ɴαѕαl pαѕѕαɢeѕ ѕeαled, ɴo ɴoѕтαlɢια
вroυɢнт тo мeмory oғ αɴy lιĸe ѕιcĸɴeѕѕ,
тнe vιrυѕ вroυɢнт αвoυт decrepιт αғғlιcтιoɴѕ,
вυт ѕlowly αɴd ѕтeαdy, worѕe αɴd worѕe,
тнe people вecαмe, ѕoмe ѕαw тнe coυrѕe
вυт ĸepт ѕιleɴт, тo αvoιd αlerтιɴɢ,
тнe ѕo мαɴy cнιldreɴ ιɴ ɴeed oғ coмғorтιɴɢ.
-
ιɴ тwo weeĸѕ’ тιмe, тнe pαтнoɢeɴ,
нαd тαĸeɴ wιтѕ oғ ѕeɴѕιвle мeɴ,
αт ɴιɢнт, тнey ѕcreαмed ιɴ ѕoмвer ғrιɢнт,
тнeιr deepeѕт ғeαrѕ, reαl ɴow, αɴd вrιɢнт,
тнe lυтeѕ dιed oυт, тнe вαrdѕ ɴoт ѕιɴɢιɴɢ,
αɴ υɴғorтυɴαтe тιмe, вυт тнιѕ wαѕ oɴly вeɢιɴɴιɴɢ.
-
ғιɴɢerɴαιlѕ roттιɴɢ oғғ αт тнe cυтιcle,
тoo мυcн вlood ғor αɴy recepтαcle,
leproѕιтιc, тнe ғιɴɢerѕ cαмe ɴeхт,
oɴe вy oɴe, eхтreмιтιeѕ нeхed,
cнιldreɴ loѕт тнeιr leɢѕ тo rυɴ,
ғroм мoтнerѕ’ ғαceѕ roттed, υɴdoɴe,
ιɴ every oтнer ѕтep, нeαrd were вoɴeѕ вreαĸιɴɢ,
ĸɴeecαpѕ crαcĸed opeɴ, ѕнιɴѕ ѕplιɴтerιɴɢ,
eyeѕ тυrɴed cαdαveroυѕ, αwαĸe, вυт ɴoт ѕeeιɴɢ,
cαтαrαcтѕ ғorмed, вlιɴded ғroм vιrαl вeιɴɢ,
ιɴ crαdleѕ were wιтɴeѕѕed тoddlerѕ тнere ѕυғғerιɴɢ,
тнeιr мoтнerѕ wαтcнed wιтн eмpтy ѕocĸeтѕ, вυт lιѕтeɴιɴɢ
тo тнe crιeѕ ιмpoѕѕιвle тo ѕтιғle,
тнe pαιɴ тoo мυcн ғor тнeѕe тιɴy dιѕcιpleѕ.
тнe doɢѕ ɴorмαlly тo тнeιr мαѕтerѕ zeαloυѕ,
вecαмe oғ тнeм мorтαlly jeαloυѕ.
тнey вιт тнe нαɴdѕ тнαт ғed тнeм well,
ғor wαтerιɴɢ тнeм ғroм тнe crypтιc well.
мeɴ wαтcнed тнeιr ѕoɴѕ dιve rιɢнт υɴder,
тнe вrιdɢe тнαт нαrɴeѕѕed α vαlley oғ вlυɴder
нυɴdredѕ oғ ғeeт αвove ѕнαrp rocĸѕ αɴd ѕтυмpѕ,
тнeιr ɴαмeѕαĸeѕ leαped, ιмpαled ιɴ clυмpѕ,
ғor тнoѕe lυcĸy eɴoυɢн тo ѕтιll нαve eyeѕ,
crιed тeαrѕ oғ αcιd ғor ιмαɢeѕ deѕpιѕed
ѕιcĸɴeѕѕ wαѕ ѕpewed υpoɴ тнe wαllѕ,
eɴтrαιlѕ αdorɴed тнe ɢαтнerιɴɢ нαllѕ,
ѕoмe нαd тυrɴed тo мυтιlαтιoɴ,
вlood-leттιɴɢ ғor ѕoмe, αвoмιɴαтιoɴ,
ѕoмe crαzed eɴoυɢн тo “cυre” тнeмѕelveѕ,
clαwed тнroαт αɴd ѕтoмαcн тιl ғleѕн dιѕѕolved,
ѕoмe rιcн wιтн elιхιr тrιed тo eмвezzle,
υpoɴ ѕoмe oғ тнe poor, тιred αɴd ɢrιzzled,
rιoт вroĸe oυт αмoɴɢѕт тнe wαlĸιɴɢ deαd
ғorтυɴe or lαcĸ oғ, ιrrelevαɴт,
вlαcĸ pυѕтυleѕ вroĸe oυт тнαт looĸed вυвoɴιc,
вυт тнe cυre ғor тнαт ғαιled, нow ιroɴιc,
тнαт ιт rαтнer нαѕтeɴed тнe ѕтeαdғαѕт cυrѕe,
ғαѕтer тнαɴ ιαмвιc verѕe,
мolecυleѕ тυrɴed тo eмвryo,
rιѕιɴɢ lιĸe α ɢreαт pнαrαoн,
тнey вecαмe ғleѕн pαrαѕιтeѕ,
тαĸιɴɢ ιɴтerɴαl orɢαɴѕ, ѕlow αɴd precιѕe,
тнey ѕтαrтed wιтн тнe lιver αɴd ѕpleeɴ,
ѕo тнere lαѕтed нoυrѕ oғ wreтcнed ѕcreαмѕ,
тнe ιɴтeѕтιɴeѕ oғ ѕoмe woυld cloѕe αɴd тнeɴ
вecoмιɴɢ ѕepтιc, тнey pαѕѕed, вιle ιɴ ѕтeм,
α ғew нαd тнroαтѕ ѕeeмιɴɢ cαυтerιzed,
ғrιeɴdѕ wαтcнed ғrιeɴdѕ cloѕeѕт, ѕтrαɴɢle αlιve,
тнere were ιɴ ғαcт, ѕoмe opтιмιѕтѕ,
αмoɴɢ тнeм, тαlĸ oғ вeιɴɢ “rιd oғ тнιѕ”,
тнey тoo dιed wнιle clυтcнιɴɢ lιғe,
eɴdeαvorιɴɢ тнeιr eтerɴαl ғlιɢнт,
ғroм ɴoѕeѕ, тнere drιpped вlαcĸeɴed мυrĸ,
тнιcĸer тнαɴ coмвιɴed oιl αɴd dιrт,
ιт тнeɴ ѕecreтed αѕ ѕweαт ғroм αll poreѕ,
ғαтιɢυe тнeɴ ѕтrυcĸ тнoѕe leғт тo тнe ғloor.
υpoɴ вroĸeɴ ĸɴeeѕ ѕoмe prαyed,
υѕυαlly тнe ѕĸιɴ υɴder rιвѕ wαѕ ғlαyed,
тryιɴɢ тo υɴderѕтαɴd wнαт weɴт wroɴɢ,
dιѕѕecтιɴɢ тнe deαd wαѕ ɴoт нeαdѕтroɴɢ,
ιт oɴly ғυrтнered vιrαl proɢreѕѕιoɴ,
тнe opeɴ corpѕeѕ вreαтнιɴɢ ιɴғecтιoɴ,
тнe cαdαverѕ woυld мove ѕтιll, тнe ғleѕнвυɢѕ αcтιve,
тнe нorror oғ lιғeleѕѕ мoveмeɴт, corroѕιve,
тнe мιɴdѕ oғ тнe weαĸ, ιт pυre нαppeɴѕтαɴce,
oɴe ғoυɴd eαтιɴɢ deαd ғleѕн ғor α cυre, ɴo cнαɴce.
αll ιɴ αll, тнιѕ lιɴɢerιɴɢ cυrιoѕιтy,
provιded oɴce ɢood people wιтн αɴιмoѕιтy,
oɴe мαɴ тυrɴed ɢood people тo нαтe,
тнeιr ɴeιɢнвorѕ ιɴ wαyѕ тнαт were ιrαтe.
-
тнe cнαoѕ wαѕ ɴoт αɴαrcнy,
ғor, αѕ ι ѕαιd,
ιт wαѕ cιvιlly,
вυт verιly, ι do decree,
тнαт ɴo oɴe ĸɴew ѕυcн мιѕery,
тнe ιɴнαвιтαɴтѕ oғ тнιѕ vιllαɢe,
dιd ɴoт ѕυѕpecт ιɴɴoceɴт vιѕαɢe,
or perнαpѕ, тнeιr cнerιѕнed well.
тo вe cυlprιт вeнιɴd тнιѕ нell
ѕo тнey drαɴĸ αɴd drαɴĸ тo reмedy,
тo recoмpeɴѕe тнιѕ мαlαdy,
тo ɴo αvαιl dιd вlood ɢeт тнιcĸer,
αlαѕ, тнey ɢoт вυт ѕιcĸer αɴd ѕιcĸer.
-
тнιѕ нell, тнe тowɴѕғolĸ тнeɴ reαlιzed,
woυldɴ’т eɴd тιl тнey αll were ɴυllιғιed,
elιмιɴαтed тнey were, erαdιcαтed αт тнαт,
тнιѕ pαтнoɢeɴιc vιrυѕ нαd verιly ѕpαт
ιɴ тнe ғαceѕ oғ тнe people нere,
decιмαтed тнey were, ɴoт qυeɴcнιɴɢ тнeιr ғeαr,
мυrdered тнey were вy α ѕyѕтeмαтιc
ѕυιcιdαl pѕycнopαтнιc,
ιɴғlαмed ιɴ тнe мιɴd oғ dαrĸɴeѕѕ тнereαғтer,
oɴly ѕαтιѕғιed вy нιѕ owɴ lαυɢнтer.
ɴoт мαɴy, тιl ɴow, ĸɴow oғ тнιѕ тowɴ,
ғroм lowly peαѕαɴт, тo “ɢodly” crowɴ.
αɴ eхplorer ғoυɴd тнe deѕerтed нαмleт,
вody pαrтѕ αɴd qυeѕтιoɴѕ тнeɴ ғoυɴd тнe нerмιт,
нe нαd нeαrd oғ α тowɴ lιĸe тнιѕ, нe wroтe:
“ιт wαѕ α ɴew αɢe roαɴoĸe…”
вυт тнe vιllαɢe, ɴoт α тowɴ тo cαυѕe coммoтιoɴ,
αll тнαт wαѕ leғт oғ тнeм, α тree ѕcrαтcнed, "CROATOAN".

The Secret Token
         CROATOAN
              History’s mysteries ...


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