She comes every night

And weeps

Or laughs

Like a maniac.

*

She wears

A ragged gray shroud

In her shaking hand a torch

Has you crying

Every night

*

She comes

And calls – what

What for ?

She rubs her knees on

The bloody soil

*

The nights she weeps

A shiver goes down the trees

She puts her head

Into your pond

She can’t breathe but her tears

– what tears ? Under water

Life doesn’t exist.

*

She prays

Does she?

She screams

She’s rotting

And the gods don’t answer

– don’t believe her

She thinks.

– Does she ? Under water

At least

Lies the calming void.

*

The bloody soil

You hear it

It wonders if

She killed someone or if

Someone killed her.

It wonders if she is a ghost

And she does, too.

*

She

Is lost

And yet tomorrow

She

Will act tough

And try to make peace with the gods

For she is a priestress

Pressured into showing faith

And hopes

And she can’t

She can’t fail

And is sure

She fails and lies

Every day

*

She

Who is she ?

Perhaps you know

Better than her

Who she is.

But look at you

Voiceless

Formless

Nymph

You can’t save her if you can’t save yourself !

*

She comes every night

And weeps

Or laughs

Like a maniac.

*

She wears

Nothing but her fears

In her shaking hand a voice

Has you crying

Every night

*

She comes

And calls – what

What for ?

She rubs her knees on

The bloody soil

*

The nights she laughs

The wolves themselves

Stop biting you

And cry.

She holds onto her faith

– holds a knife

And threatens

The weeper one.

*

She doesn’t pray

Does she ?

A god speaks

Through her

The other is silenced

As you are

As the forest is

The divine void

Takes over everything.

*

The bloody soil

You hear it

It wonders if she bleeds or if

It is the other who bleeds.

It wonders if she is a ghost or if

It is the other who is

And she doesn’t wonder

She now stands

Fiercely

On her own – are you sure ? – body.

*

She –

*

No – don’t

Approach !

A soul is drowning in

Your pond, all crumpled

No – don’t

Approach !

The priestress she was

Poisoned !

Look at the bloody soil –

It is all dead now.

*

She

Who is she ?

You ask – you

Ask ?

*

You talk – to say

What ? No

I will remain.

You have – a form ?

Is it a

Metamorphose ?

No

You say

– You say ?

It is merely you

Coming back from the cold

Filling with warmth the void

Wearing a saxifrage robe.

*

How can it be ?

How can it be ?

*

Now you both lie

On the bloody soil

From which you made roses

Grow.

She is

Unconscious

– Do you know she could be

The weeper

Or the screamer

Once awake ?

*

Do not

Chase me.

You are an imbecile

And have always been.

No – I am not

A god

– No, please, don’t

Kill me.

I shall remain silent

No – I am not

What she called

– No, please, don’t

Kill me.

*

Kill me

I understood.

Speak, nymph : I shall die.

*

You, ominous voice

Had nearly murdered us

Every night

Every day

By telling a story

We didn’t want to belong to.

We

Fought – or we

Didn’t

And in both cases, it was

Our fault.

*

She wept or laughed

I stood voiceless and formless

And you implied

We were

Weak or

Mad.

*

Look, she is awake :

She is herself

Nor a fool nor desperate

Both a fool and desperate

And for that, she is

Stronger than you.

*

Look, I am speaking :

I am myself

Nor a dead nor worthless

Both a dead and worthless

And for that, I am

Stronger than you.

*

The one who doesn’t exist

Is you.

*

Now, die.

*

She will come

And weep

Or laugh

Like a maniac

*

If she so desires

*

And I will listen

And cry

And hold her tight

*

If she so desires

*

She will come

And call – what

What for ?

The answer

Doesn’t matter

It might lie

On the grass

Or not

– Grass I will happily

Share

*

If she so desires.