BEWARE THE FAERIE DANCE


The air was calm, so fresh the dew,

Evening's soft dark crept in so cold.

For faeries dance, was laid to view,

For I knew they most surely would.

This was certain as I'd been told,

To be present, if I but could.


Those lights I'd seen and stood to stare,

There dancing in this woodland glade.

The stranger on the path met there,

When told of this, of faerie dance,

A story old, to me, he bade,

"Now for yourself look, take that chance."


"In silence view, whence faeries heed,"

"For only then, will you be sure,"

"That my story is truth indeed."

"Yet keep your tongue in silence, still,"

"In mind, in thought, you must keep pure,"

"Or trouble find, you surely will."


I pondered on the words spoke he,

Then turned, to find, at once was gone.

Those words in mind, here laid I be,

As darkness fell on this cold earth.

A silent wait of time so long,

When from the dark , such sounds of mirth.


Behind me now and all around,

Such beauteous fireflies in dance.

To turn my head, could not, I found,

Nor care did I, in dancing light,

Carefully held by vision's trance,

Imprisoned, but cared not for flight.


Such tiny forms, bright flaring wings,

Before my eyes, did there appear,

A firefly thence, so sweetly sings,

In sparkling voice, my name spoke she.

With few short words, now felt my fear,

My presence wrong, no place to be.


To move, not I, in senseless trance,

Words rang true but in blinding light.

Senses spun round, as went the dance,

Giddy and drunk, no escape now.

Visions flung wild, in patterns bright,

Then sudden stop; silence; but how.


Air still of calm, dew's soaking stream,

Morning's first light, glowing but cold.

Faeries' wild dance, now but a dream,

Quite still, laid there as first was bid

To raise myself with bones not old,

Yet felt so, they most surely did.


To leave this place by steady pace,

That cold morn a young man did meet.

Familiar, so seemed his face,

Where had we met, some time before?

But with kind words I did him greet,

Then tell him of faeries' strange lore.


A journey thence to home's hearth warm

To stride out fine, but that way, no!

Of that youth none, to his quest gone,

Yet still forward within wood's glade.

Towards home, could no longer go,

But to the dew, where dampness, laid.


That man I met, I knew his face,

It was I, in years to come.

Young, then now, in cyclic embrace,

Awaiting faeries' magic charm.

My life now here, but not my home,

Such seeking then, brought naught but harm.


"You chose not well, my faerie ring,"

"Not of the kind that which you sought."

"For we dance, not for joyful thing,"

"But life's circle," was spoke to me.

Such words I heard, or within my thought,

Now linger while, trapped here I be.


So long ago, those words learned,

From a faerie who was unseen.

In cycles thence, myself have turned,

From young to old and then again,

Years have passed, by what might have been,

To endure such delightful pain.


Another now to enter thus,

The ring, as I did once in lapse,

On wood's path, ask with ne'er a fuss,

Of firefly light and faerie lore.

If that person be you perhaps,

My freedom win as his before.


Release me thus, from joyful pain,

My place to take and make me free,

Perhaps your loss, enchantment's gain,

To ease my pain of faerie task,

At last in rest, to peaceful be,

So foolish one, your question ask.