Lystrata

On the outer edge of darkness,

On the other side of sleep,

And beyond the mist, the starkness

Of the landscape makes me weep,

For Lystrata, like a phantom

Glides and shimmers through the trees,

As her hair trails out behind her

At the slightest subtle breeze.

 

But the sun has not yet risen

So the shadows there are dim,

And the voices in the distance

Mutter words that sound like ‘R.E.M.’,

But Lystrata leads me further

Through that one repeating myth,

Where we leave the trees behind us

At the stark edge of the cliff.

 

I can hear the breakers rolling

On the beach, so far below,

As Lystrata turns toward me,

Cries forever: ‘Now you know!’

But I reach on out to touch her

Almost blinded by my tears,

When her shadow fades before me

As she turns, and disappears!

 

And I’m driving through the night

Toward some future, cold and bleak,

With her sitting close beside me

Though we very rarely speak,

While the anger and the hurt has

Ravelled, rabid at my brain,

When she said: ‘You know it’s over!’

Then I knew - I was insane!

 

For the darkness closed around me

On that narrow strip of road,

And this dream that would confound me

Kept repeating, like some ode,

That the world had somehow narrowed

To the pinpoint of a beam,

So I swerved into the darkness

And I heard Lystrata scream!

 

There are phantoms moving greyly

At the other side of sleep,

And their voices still dismay me

As I make that final leap,

For ‘How long?’ would seem to echo

And re-echo through my tears,

As another phantom whispers:

‘Well, it’s all of twenty years!’

 

And Lystrata stands before me

As the blood runs down her face,

‘Once you said that you’d adore me,

But you leave me little grace!’

Then she leaves me in the darkness

And the mist, for me to weep,

At the outer edge of darkness

On the other side of sleep!

 

David Lewis Paget

Author's Note

To make this piece a little more transparent, the narrator has been in a coma for twenty years, after driving himself and the love of his life over a cliff. The hints are R.E.M. - rapid eye movement, and the doctors' conversation by his bed - 'How long,' - 'Well, it's all of twenty years.'

Reviews

[Delilah Campbell]

Bravo my friend, That wasn't just a mere poem, that was a short story with just the right detail and emotions that left me wanting more.

I loved this...

And Lystrata stands before me
As the blood runs down her face,
‘Once you said that you’d adore me,
But you leave me little grace!’
Then she leaves me in the darkness
And the mist, for me to weep,
At the outer edge of darkness
On the other side of sleep!

Thanks for sharing David. I will look for more from you.
Delilah

[Barbz]

Thanks for the footnote, it gives a bit more clarity to your thought processes which astound me in their brilliance.....or are we both just Mad!!! Not as in rabid, merely marked by uncontrolled excitement and emotion....Loved it, Barbz

[TL Boehm]

Wow. I've always been fascinated by folklore and mythologies and also what happens to a person when he/she is "Comatose" we know so little about the mind and the soul. This one is a sad read, and chilling but as always I was drawn into the story.

[eatmills]

Twenty years living the same situation over and over is very haunting indeed.
Loved the end stanza so chilling.

[Lumière Dé..]

How you thought up something so imaginative is beyond me. Seriously, you're going to become very bored of my reviews but honest to God all I can say is 'bravo'

[Lena M. P.]

Spectacular. Bravo! If you can't tell I'm giving you a standing ovation. This poem is so potent. Twenty years of living in the purgatory of his mind and what he has done; over and over. I love how you weaved the real world into his dream world further confusing him. Touche. You are truly a bard!

[MoriartyMesa]

No side note needed, this was loud and clear.

[Helen Crutchett]

I am really lost for words that would even touch a little bit on what I think of this masterpiece. I am sitting here with jaw dropped (really not a pretty sight)! You have outdone yourself, if that is really possible. I adored this. Thanks for sharing your brilliant and untouchable talent again dear David!

I may as well just have the 'rating' put permanenly on 100 when it comes to your poems!! lol

[Moonflower]

"On the other side of sleep,
And beyond the mist, the starkness
Of the landscape makes me weep,
For Lystrata, like a phantom"

It took a few re-reads to understand this part, finally it made sense when I read it as "beyond the mist, the starkness of the landscape, makes me weep"

That is the only real "critical" thing that I could find, and I am only commenting on it because it truly did take me a few times to understand it, at first I wasn't sure if it really made sense. Now, that could be me, because I do tend to be a little slow at times. haha

But nevertheless I am thoroughly appreciative of this beautiful masterpiece. You have a gift for storytelling, in poem form..which for me, is a breath of fresh air. I adore your writing style. You are definitely a new favorite of mine. Thank you so much for sharing your work on this site. I am sure that you have been published, or will be, and I am honored to have a sneak peek at your talent and creative skill.

Thank you, for this inspiring work.

[Loner]

Oh my God !
So sad but a poetic touch to it makes it into
a master piece ....

[Tate Morgan]

How appropriate that you would name this after a Greek play from 400 BC. Denied where men were denied favors by their wives in an attempt o make them stop their wars. The story almost dream like and I suppose it meant to be. He certainly seems denied all his productive years. I would think this would be a good thing to dream on if one could never wake up. Though i might just long to finish the job and get to the next world. Where hopefully I had been forgiven and she might await.