Vines of Smoke

Vines of smoke snake stealthily through the night

An old crone sits, stoking the fire

Standing bent, she chants beside a stream

Her clothes are layers of black attire

 

A cauldron sits upon the coals

Steam dances and churns, mingling with the breeze

Carrying curses on the wind

Smoke her messenger slinking covertly through the trees

 

The town had cast her out that day

With stones and sticks, they banished her

So on this eve she casts her spell

With the scent of candy, she propels her lure

 

One by one the children, like specters came

The town folk slept as she enticed each one

Into a cave, she seals each progeny

Every daughter child and first-born son

 

The town awakes to find them gone

They searched the woods and streams complete

Darkness falls but no child be found

Their generations now deplete

 

Legend says the town just moved away

And to this day a sweet cloying smell remains

The smoke still creeps like vines that choke

Never cleansed by pouring rains

 

Reviews

[Ruth]

Ohhh!
I love this, unsettling but what atmosphere! :) A pleasure to read love xoxo