The Grassy Hill

‘See that hill, the one hidden away, out of sight?

If you sit and wait, quiet-like, watching till night,

you might see something few have seen before,

a rare vision gleaned straight from old folk-lore.

A something hidden, something secret,

something I doubt you will ever forget.

‘Hush now, the sun has finally gone,

do you hear it, that faint wafting song?

Sit sit, do not move, else you might not see

this mystery, this beauty I know you want to be.

Look there! Do you see it, see the slight change?

Patience now, if you want to see it, you will manage.

‘Do you see them as they peer out,

searching for watchers they’re sure to be about?

The little creatures that shy from Man,

and search the grass around their little door,

though they freeze at all they think they saw.

‘Hush, hush. Ah! Here she comes from below

the minuscule little lady that runs this show.

The regally glowing Queen of the creatures hidden

beneath the surface of mortal woes to gladden

the heavy heart with joyful dreams

where nothing is what it seems.

‘She throws gleefully coloured balls

deep within her soil crafted halls,

where all the creatures come to dance

and hope to make a memorable entrance

before their delicate crystal Queen,

Ruler of the Realm of the Mortal Dream.

‘There, you see her now, her crystal form

glinting in the moonlight as though torn

from the mysteries of a half remembered dream,

a delicate nightmare that makes you want to scream?

Do you see her, the delicate crystal beauty of her,

and in seeing the ethereal beauty of her, do you fear her?

‘Now, now, don’t look at me like that

you know this is not fantasy, but fact.

Can you not feel the urge, feel the need

to turn and run with a blood-curdling scream?

Her fragile form holds an ice-cold heart,

you would know this, if you were smart.

‘See her subjects, as bright as bright can be

dancing joyous in coloured gaiety,

they twirl, spin and dance,

their performance’s sole purpose is to entrance

the unseen watcher beneath the full-moon

knowing that helpless, they will come out of hiding soon.

‘There, the magic is set, the trap is ready,

will you resist, though the urge to move is heady?

You want to join them, surely there is no harm,

not a movement, not a twitch that might cause alarm?

The twirling dance goes on and on

moving to the distant wafting song.

‘Your finger twitches, tapping in time with the soft beat

and before long, it is joined by both your feet.

Go on then, go and join them. Stand.

For after all, you are only a mortal Man.

So stand and go, yes you will,

and dance with them, into the grassy hill.’

Some faint sense twines through the spell

as the hill closed behind him, tolling a death-knell.

He turns and tries to run and flee

but the song snatches him up with glee

and gently sweeps clean his mind;

till there is not a thought to find.

‘Welcome to my Realm, the world beneath the surface,

a world filled with lies and endless grace.

You shall know, no more, no hate nor joy.

Well mortal, did you like my crystal decoy?

There, there, mortal, no need to cry

though you will never again see the sky.

‘Little mortal, you came to me willingly,

though I lured you with words, you see

there is none to blame but yourself,

but you will not grow old and placed on a shelf,

this age is yours to forever enjoy

while you spend eternity as my mortal toy.’

And in so hearing the mortal cried,

wept for the death longed for and denied.

Their fate sealed as they danced under the hill,

not knowing the Queen moved in for the kill.

Now they spend eternity at the feet of the Ice-Queen

soundlessly screaming, in this nightmare of a Dream.