A battle, an Owl, and The Elysian Fields of Lost Hope.

He opened his eyes, a brilliant white owl flying overhead, hearing susurrations, its wings still upon evening air, lighting the dark, a bold coruscating candle, The Owl illuminated every chasm, his soul hiding, lurking in the shadows; the more he reflected, the more he pondered; Why aren’t I like that wise old bird?” ... how does one seek to expose their darkest secrets whilst maintaining a stoic façade?

I am master of all, the solitary hunter, how dare she challenge me, such an ostentatious charade of beauty. He reached up, slashing currents of air ruffled by her wings. He faded her warning, and sensed the fragrance of cypress trees, where she’d dare make her nest.

Suddenly awakened from unthinkable thoughts, an audience applauding her flight. He felt his blood pounding in his brain as he swiveled his neck towards the brilliant light...

And behold,

He was not in any ordinary garden,

but in a magical forest,

Awash in Nature's salivating desires,

hanging by a delicate web,

its potency flooding through his body,

Saturating his mind

and drowning his soul

from top to bottom

in a coat of many feathers....

No longer was his name the centre of her universe

Death by sword never became her

The bloody sky swallowed the poison of betrayal

Lillies, so deathly pale, thrown at his feet

Priestesses in the Temple of Minerva wailed their sorrow

Even his Trojan bowed down to her in defeat

And behold, awaken

The new Queen

Strident and astute

Whilst he polished emptiness

Whimpering mute

Wings of white

Breath so sweet

Lingered on his soul

Night after night

Goodbye my lover, my enemy, my foe!

History has forgotten its bookmark....

It’s time to go

She, the enchantress of all, the solitary hunter, her challenge was his demise.

Suddenly asleep, tortured by his thoughts, tossing against excruciating epiphany; he felt his blood pooling in his hands as he swiveled his sword towards the gloomy dark….

It was he who had slit his own throat,

and for that he lost all sense of hope.

By Leeza Cooper

The synopsis;

Free-form poetry.

The protagonist is the white owl, representing a women of Roman blood in the year 100 BC; she was not fit for royal marriage to her lover despite her intelligence and beauty, so she was eventually cast aside.

The antagonist is the son of a Roman King who chose to follow his father’s wishes, his title and fame, over his lover. His abandonment of her was noted by the Gods and his fate was to suffer every night at the sight and sound of the white owl who carried her soul to the Elysian Fields whilst he remained in Hades.