It is not desolate here.
The grounds are unwelcoming
although they do not appear so.
Not a living soul is fortunate,
but it is not the fault of the land.
There were no disasters,
no catastrophes
that caused the problems.
Everything and everyone
just settled into the way it was..
and it was without mortals.
Perhaps you will save them all.

Around the bend,
there is usually a unicorn
who is blind.
He often gets his horn
jammed into the soft tress
that are more like mushrooms than sycamores.
He runs around without seeing
where he's going.
The little fire devils
crawl on him,
sharing sheer temptations,
burning his ears.
If he does not listen,
they will send him away...
send him into the direction
of the cliff
where he will run off without meaning to.

The winged man
is more like the hanged man.
His golden locks match the sun
and his burnt arms
look like the roses that rarely bloom here.
Feathery wings extend from his back
providing shade
if he was clever enough...
but he knows nothing.
His expression is always blank
and beauty cannot save him.

The lakes are full of mermaids,
with aquamarine and coral colored fins.
Physically, they can swim,
but the ocean would turn them into sea foam.
Their only options are to lie on the rocks
out in the sun
where they will ultimately die.
Their scales would start to fizzle
and chip off.
They can choose instant death
or prolonged agony.
I've seen them both;
dry mermaids completely cracking like old tiles
and the poor beautiful creatures
disintegrating in the water,
their flesh being eaten by fish.

And you ask to have special powers here?
Not in this land
would you want them.
A cat is lucky
and can rest all day,
but it cannot fly like the birds it admires.
We cannot do everything.
In this land with no mortals
(we've never had one before),
you will be nothing new.
Yet, you are lucky enough to have the wisdom.
You get to know about the land
and all the beings around you.
You get to watch everything suffer.
Perhaps you will save them all..
and even though you can easily
be killed,
maybe they will all save you.

07/15/2006

Author's Note: I really don't know.

Posted on 07/16/2006
Copyright © 2024 Rebecca Lin