A Winter's Tale

Winter was settling in at the hedges,

Whiting the meadows and hanging off ledges,

Crazing at windows and frosting the willow,

Creeping at ceilings and freezing my pillow,

Outside the woods were embraced in a tangle,

Snow falling steadily, stars were a-spangle.

I felt it time to be wandering steadily

Out where my footsteps had followed hers, readily,

Past where the pathway encircled the wishing well

Holding the pennies we’d tossed for a lovers spell,

She’d walked ahead with a bow in her auburn hair

One yellow ribbon, that’s how I remembered her.

She’d seemed uncertain and wanted to talk to me

I really didn’t, but she said to ‘walk with me’,

Down through the woods where the leaves lay in Autumn,

Yellow and golden, the grounds of Bell Norton,

Once was a convent and practiced religiously

Then we were deep in the woods by a poplar tree.

She turned and spoke of the thing I was fearing,

Took off her ring and the pearl in her earring,

‘I am in love with another,’ she said to me,

‘What of our love?’ then she said, ‘That is dead to me!’

‘You must allow me to love Justin Hanger,’

I felt cold rage and I lashed out in anger.

She fell pole-axed at the foot of a chestnut tree

Never a sign of the life that had once loved me,

Dragged her some distance and into the Folly,

Covered in creepers and mistletoe, holly,

Buried her under a floor that was rotten,

And left her in store so that she’d be forgotten.

Now it was months and I came back to see her

Deep in the winter, with weather so drear,

Opened the flimsy old door of the Folly,

Caught up in creepers and mistletoe, holly,

When from the floor came a sound like a groaning,

Under the boards was a weeping and moaning.

‘This can’t be true,’ as I came in and staggered,

Watched a hand rise through the floor, looking hagard,

Most of the flesh fell away from the bone,

Then the floor heaved and I heard the girl moan,

‘Where is my lover, the one that is true to me,’

‘You must be dead,’ I said, ‘all this is new to me.’

I took the axe that was stood in the corner

Raised it aloft as if I tried to warn her,

Then someone tackled and brought me to ground,

Muttering something, ‘At last she’s been found!’

And under the floor were her human remains,

No moaning or groaning, just my guilty pains.

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[A Soap Mess Stories]

A kreepy tale indeed! Well-written story!

[Barbz]

David, this poem, tho well written scared the day lights out of me. I trust that was your intentions, and if so, well done, as usual. Barbz

[Coyote Poetry]

A very entertaining story. I liked the ending. You create mystery, fear and dangerous situation. A perfect ending to the amazing tale my friend.
Coyote

[Valentine]

Loved the last part...him getting his just dues. Valentine

[AlieahRose]

The sudden intensity stays with the reader from the beginning of the poem. The moment when it becomes violent is chilling and captivating. Wonderful piece.

[Jane Winters Rogers]

A sad, frightening poem. I think it is very disturbing, especially when he imagines her groaning and her hand grasping from under rhe boards. I also think the first imagery is such a vivid look at the surrounding scenes....the wishing well, " my footsteps had followed her readily " I especially like the beginning paragraph. IIt seems so quite , a loneliness sets in right away a silent stillness after the horrifying killing power of his rage.
.

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

That karma like essence really springs forward, leaves the reader with a sense of ending and correctness, well done, good read.

[MomzillaNC]

There’s always something satisfying about a story were justice is well and truly served. Don’t they say a criminal always “returns to the scene of the crime? This is a chilling self-incrimination and conviction, in the vein of Poe’s Telltale Heart.

[Einstein Noodle]

and justice is done!!! guilt will have its way with the guilty eh!? i was excited in reading wondering which way things would go ...one never knows with you sir! :)
E.