Black Islands

Black Islands

Time stood still on the Black Islands
fog swirled around the castle
surrounded by darkness and slime.

Across the swamp from the castle
was the hillside it overlooks
green trees, mushrooms, peacocks.

The forest beyond was saturated
with the dampness of reptilian eyes
the wind moaned in the tall oaks.

A lonely peddler made his humble way
silently along a narrow muddy road
the cloudy sky gurgled and roared.

Up in the tower glowed a candle light
as beggars in the street below cried for food
to take home to starving families.

Deep below the ground were shadows
constantly at sleep and waiting
for the signals of Zhuam.

Derebro stood in his tower silently
watching the green hillside soaking
as the rain tumbles down in a flood.

His stony black eyes cut the space
his ebony man fell across his shoulders
wrinkled grey skin hid the pain.

The hillsides once glowed in anger
before that they glowed in bright peace
that ended with pain, screams and blood.

Hidden in a shack somewhere was Zverkov
silently waiting to reclaim what was his
his pain was generated by love.

His babies were dead
his wife even worse
the henchmen of Derebro struck hard.

His memories twisted back to a time
when his family toiled on the hillsides.

It was a cold life even then
but it was the life that he loved.

Drawing slowly closer to a moonlit shore
across the rolling black waters
was a silent stealthy galley on the sea.

A lone stranger stood on the decks
holding his bloodstained blade
his face like stone under the silver moon.

He was acting like a judge
and he was sailing to the trial
unnaturally resigned to his vengeful doom.

The silence he preserved by his thoughts
was shattered only by the wash of the waves
as the cloudy sky rolled in the night.

Streetlamps flickered in the cold village
left over snow lingers sluggishly
they dance like candles at a funeral.

Zverkov in a grey cloak waited at the docks
for the stranger to arrive
for the darkness to be lifted
for blood to splash on the walls.

Zverkov lay on the docks in a pool of blood
with several stab wounds in the back
he died a quick unexpected death.

Derebro rode away in a coach
chuckling as he wiped his blade
as the chilly wind blew back his hair.

Back to his castle maddened horse galloped
down narrow muddy rods
a feeling of closure now in his heart.

The tower stood against the silvery moon
and the rolling splashing grey sky.

He sent down to the dungeon for Liza
to tell her the fate of her husband
and to occupy the rest of his night.

While below the earth was a trembling
called forth by a man on the shore
a man in command of vengeful shadows.

Demented voiced demon with a voice like silver ice
Zhaum stood vengefully burning with rage
calling shadows to awaken with laughter.

The swamp throbbed now like a heartbeat
the hillside bloomed with poison flowers
slimy creatures began to feed on them.

The forest was alive with screams
bats circled in the sky
the wind howled with blowing rain.

Inside the tower Liza lay ravished
victim of Derebro's fierce sodomy
the candles beside the bed had gone dark.

Derebro stood on the ridge
looking down at the man on the shore
his eyes were afire as he awaited his trial.

-Will Dockery (September 1977)