A Gothic Romance (Red Roses For The Devil's Wore)

Evening minuetto in a castle by the sea

A jewel more radiant than the moon

Lowered her mask to me

The sublimest creature the Gods, full of fire

Would marvel at making their Queen

Infusing the air with her fragrant desire

And my heart reeled with grave poetry

From grace I fell in love with her

Scent and feline lure and jade

Woodland eyes that ushered in the impurest

Erotic, laden fantasies amid this warm autumn night

She lulled me away from the rich masquerade

And together we clung in the bloodletting moonlight

Pearled luna, what spell didst thou cast on me?

Her icy kiss fervoured my neck

Like whispering waves 'pon Acheron's beach

In a whirl of sweet voices and statues

That phantomed the dying trees

This debauched seductress in black, took me

In a pale azured dawn like 'Ligeia' reborn

I tore free of my sleep sepulchre

On the sea misted lawn where stone figures, forlorn

Lamented the spectre of her

Bewildered and weak, yet with passion replete

I hungered for past overtures

The curse of unrest and her ardent caress

Came much more than my soul could endure

I, at once, endeavored to see her again

Stirring from midnight's inertia

Knowing not even her name

On a thin precipice over carnal abyss

I danced like a blind acolyte

Drunk on red wine, her dead lips on mine

Suffused with the perfume of night

For hours I scoured the surrounding grounds

In vain that we might meet

When storm clouds broke, ashened, fatigued

I sought refuge in a cemetery

Sleep, usher dreams

Taint to nightmares from a sunless nether

Mistress of the dark

I now know what thou art

Screams haunt my sleep

Dragged from nightmares

Thou hast wed together Lamia and Lemurs

Spawned thee leche to snare my flesh

Portrait of the Dead Countess