08/01/2025
A lament for the Jabberwock and others.
***
Slimmering jubbly the Krackernack plunges through the mists into the darkening night.
Senses searing, his scarred and tortured form watching reeling as again the enemy rides into sight.
With glavaning jaw and razor-ed maw, from his flank he pulls a pointed spear.
Then onward running, hears the relentless hooves still drumming, as the galloping, merciless crew draw near.
Flaverning, he races - and jumps - and pounces, under the red and yellow sky. Glumly turns to howl in despair at the trumpet’s baleful cry.
Scrabbling desperately through the prickly thorns and tangled rushes, disturbing the hare and woodland thrushes, swift like the wind
he flies.
Ever forward into a clearing, revenge hot in his swollen brain, still searing
he waits...
They thunder onward in full flight, on horses frothing gold and white with slender spears and pointed lances, to pierce and crush and bite.
With chain and sword, they slow now peering, and seeing them he leaps up rearing - lunging in the pale moonlight. To wrench the throat of the closet knave, who topples screaming to his grave, trampled, soft and bleeding, into the misty heather there.
Next upon the captain eager, he jumps and claws but meets steel neither expected - yet founders, falls, and moves no more...
_
Slowly, all around him creeping, the fellows with their staffs and banners leaping, shouting their joyous clamours bleating, all suddenly fall silent.
For in the distance of the clearing appears a fair unnatural gleaming, that becomes a blinding star.
Its pulses have them so enraptured that they forget about their captive, drop their weapons
and stand to gaze.
As all about them from on high, appear a thousand tiny eyes, both bright and fierce and brave. Of fairies, nymphs and sprites all keening, such as they looked upon, then all ran screaming; blathering wildly from the forest
lost in thoughts of mortal horrors - dread enchantments in the night.
Quietly stays the Krackernack, and panting weakly, looks about and sees the face of many wondrous creatures staring meekly at his broad and hairy bulk.
He lies torn and bleeding, until the wondrous star dims before him leading, a maiden fair - and kind.
She wears a crown of fresh green laurel, and her eyes cover him in reflected sorrows - unknown.
Her gown a spider’s silk that gently drifts; that moonlight mirrors and softly glows, as yet it shimmers, like the star.
She places her hand upon his gentle head - and blesses the wretch.
-
All the pain within him slowly runs away and snuckling forward does he lay, his head down at last - to sleep. Wending away, his dreams that lay before him, and within them there is no more screaming. For within the forest, cool and calming, rivers sweep away the tears of long-lost darlings - and forgotten places.
Slipping silent into shadow, an ember glows within thick marrow, of his bones,
as strength returns.
Here lies the last - of the once great,
Krackernack.
