Half-human half-beast the keeper stands
his boots made from eels with huge red jaws
on the crest of the mountain he watches the lands
clawing at rocks with his grizzly bear paws.
His cloak swells in wind and seeps gummy slime
and beetles swarm round to feed on the mess
surveying the woods, he’s a hostage of time
killer or saviour? It’s anyone’s guess.
Eyes clementine fires deep set in his bones
his smile is fretful, a rotty fanged grin
never with friends, a monster alone
and he howls to the moon with an echoey din.
Skin fishy scales that wink through the night
his nose is a beak that’s alarmingly sharp
he longs for the skies to transform back to light
as fingers of evil dig deep in his heart.
Below by the lake the spring fairy waits
with daffodil dress and wings made from rain
she skips unaware of the cruel eyes of fate
who glare as she tosses her bright rainbow mane.
The fairy is tired, he watches her sigh
the air fills with danger, he knows of the smell
he wants to warn her but he must not try
as he sees her death in the dark waters swell.
With unlucky prance she leaps her way home
her delicate toes soar from rock to rock
but when she lands on a strange looking stone
she realises she’s stepped on the wicked lake-croc!
He plunges her down with almighty embrace
she splutters and shrieks as he gnashes her skin
until the lake grows still with no more of a trace
as the blackness of water smoothes over all sin.
And the keeper looks on from his home up high
a lonesome tear lays rest on his cheek
and with one final roar he curses the sky
whose nature forbids him protecting the weak.
image courtesy of c t elder @deviantart.com