The Farmer’s Tale.
In times long past, before your birth,a curse befell us which rotted our earth.
Black majik, a dark and forbidden art,
cast from the depths of a witch’s black heart.
I set afoot, mighty ax in hand,
to kill the witch that cursed our land.
Searching far and wide, no stone unturned,
with flaming death, this curse be turned.
And after many moons and days many more,
I set foot upon a vast sandy shore.
A sky blood red, lightning flashed,
maddening winds, and waves that cras hed.
The scent I followed, one of death and decay,
so bad I puked most of the way.
Retching and stumbling upon a cave of rot,
putrid and dank, slimy and hot.
I saw her....
Sitting naked in refuse, grim and disease,covered with scars, surrounded by fleas.
Hair nested with insects, teeth black as coal,
wounds full of puss, one eye but a hole.
She used tricks and guile, trying to lull me in,
fiendish intentions behind a poisonous grin.
Quick and fleeting, kicking and clawing,
growling and barking, biting and gnawing.
I kept my guard and my mind in line,
by the end of the battle her life was mine.
She gurgled some words then fell piece by shred,
I quickly burned the pieces to be sure she was dead.
After sleeping....
I ventured home to my love, to m ¸y wife.
Returning home with a new lust for life.
Years passed by, we were blessed with a son.
Time healed damage that the witch had done.
Upon waking one morn, I saw that the sky was gray.
It spewed lightning and black rain all day.
Crops all withered, my cattle all dead,
I could feel her laughter inside my head.
It would seem....
The witch had returned to curse once more,
I grabbed my ax, and leapt for the door.
Across the land to her cave, with speed,
forced to repeat my heroic deed.
Once again in her cave so dark,
set to attack like a frenzied shark.
With dark majik, burst a cloud of bats.
Laughing and cackling, then a swarm of rats.
Rabid vermin wanting to feast on me,
I could do nothing but escape and flee.
The witch laughed aloud, evil grin o n face,
but I did not stop running from this cursed place.
After sleeping....
And waiting a day to recover body and mind,
I would not be stopped by this terrible bind.
Returning to the cave to finish the fight,
fully aware it would take all night.
This time around she was more crafty and sly,
by the rising of the sun one of us would die.
Indeed the melee, it raged till dawn,
my energy spent and my sanity gone.
With my final swing, the witch was dead.
I could do no more, felt as heavy as lead.
I slept for a day, then awoke to burn,
this witch to ashes so she would not return.
Home sweet home.
I arrived home, my family dead and all eaten.
The witch was not dead, she was not beaten.
A monster had come and feasted galore
My wife and son.... they were no more.
Madness had taken me to a sleep so deep,
I barely heard creatures creep.
opening my eyes to behold a beast,
so evil and nightmarish i lost my feast.
It sprang from legs like a giant frog,
oozing from it’s pores a poisonous fog.
M
y only reflex to go for my ax,
no time to think, no time to relax.
The monster....
Had crystallized head covered with four blood shot eyes,
from it’ drooling mouth, came maggots and flies.
Spitting blood and bile and crimson gore,
It moved on red tipped legs across the floor.
With ax in hand I prepared to fight,
this creature from hell, with all my might.
This beast had taken family from me,
nothing could stop or cause me to flee.
With a huge gaping maw it attempted to bite.
Oh hideous! This creature, this deathly sight.
Laughing with madness I moved in for the kill,
this beast, this monster, come from hell’s will.
Chopping off it's head, an arm with swing,
but it would not die, this hellish thing.
Even missing a leg it attempted to flee.
Driven by a force that I could not see.
As I swung widely with my all to win,
It just laughed with a sneering grin.
A mighty swing split it ear to ear,
It fought on showing no fear.
Raging as a madman, screaming like hell,
I would not stop till this monster fell.
It fell apart like ground up meat,
I was so exhausted, I fell to my feet.
Sleep.
Lying there, the beast, twitching and beaten,
my only thoughts to my family, all eaten.
No reason to live, I began to cry,
losing all hope, wanting to die.
Sleep.
Lurching up like a demonic snake,
as it reformed, I ran, ran for my sake.
As instinct took over i fled for my life,
tears streaming out for my son and my wife.
Into the woods to hide among trees,
I ran for so long I fell to my knees.
All became silent, I felt safe but alone,
being deranged, only able to moan.
From a tree above, the beast did fall,
coiled around me, drew itself up tall.
Trying to fight, no hope in sight,
it only squeezed tight, with fiendish might.
As I looked at it’s face, I could only see,
the witch’s visage glaring back at me.
It cackled and snorted, drooling and mad,
death would finally come, joyous and glad.
I cleared my mind and closed my eyes
I’d only be remembered by maggots and flies.
After a time, death did not arrive.
Oh joy! Oh rapture! I was still alive.
Opening my eyes, I was in my bed.
My wife, my son, they were not dead.
No witch, no monster, no curse, nor snake.
Sat up in bed and gave my head a shake.
Carried on day after day,
glad that the dream would fade away.
Many moons had passed, safe I did feel,
but for some reason it didn’t feel real.