Song of submission

A blinding light emanates
rises, bright, surprises!
The other, my opponent stands in awe
disbelieving
the truth he was seeing
I felt my being elevated
my power satiated.
The sound of chains clanking
His breath caught
He was panting
As I stood oblivious to his chanting
He knelt down, pupils dilating
Inside he was fighting
demons unknown.

When darkness preys- Goth tale

The carriage was moving at full pace now. The streets were dimly lit by light from the lamp posts; the night was a pitch darkness that was creeping fast behind them. A young woman was the sole occupant, a fine figure of English aristocracy. Miss Eliza sensed she was being followed but by who or what remained unclear. The driver Mr Beatle, it seemed was unusually quiet. The clock struck twelve adding to the eeriness of the atmosphere. Her heart began to race as she clutched the piece of paper in her hand, as if for dear life.

Miss Eliza awoke early that morning only to find her new husband limp and lifeless in bed. It was then that she knew what she must do. The prophecy, they were after it…and now that her husband was dead, she must guard it with her being.

She stirred where she sat on the velvet sheets as if waking from a deep trance. The last of the clock’s chimes died down as the carriage came to an abrupt halt. A tight fear gripped her being. She found herself looking back, her face white with panic. She opened the door and stepping out, saw Mr Beatle a hundred years old, his skin paler than snow. His face contorting as if in pain, he limped aimlessly around what appeared to be tombs. A graveyard…Suddenly she knew what had happened; he was now their victim as she would soon be if she didn't get to the cathedral and hide there until daylight.

Encounter with a dragonfly

One afternoon,last week, I saw a little creature, in a larger than life form. I was literally taken aback. The kind of power that tiny creature had to influence me in such a way cannot be described.

I had just reached the door of my house after visiting a bookstore, about to unlock it and in order to unlock it, was frantically searching my bag for the key, when I looked up and suddenly laid my eyes on the most gigantic dragonfly I had ever seen!

It was as long as two mini Mars bars put together. What’s more, it was comfortably seated on the door handle, thereby dashing my hopes of unlocking the door and entering the house.

I have always been afraid of bugs and insects that creep and crawl about. There I was filled with fear all because a harmless dragonfly was confronting me in this way.

I stood for what felt like hours, my mind populated with pictures of other winged insects,and my ears bombarded with the sound of their wings buzzing. I felt a chill run along the length of my spine as I began to take the trouble to clone that single dragon fly into several hundred that were about to perch on my body which for some reason had firmly stuck to the ground.

I examined the fly from top to toe for perhaps the umpteenth time. Deep inside of me I was fully aware that it couldn't bite or scratch. But then again, I imagined how its gauzy wings would feel across the smoothness of my skin. This caused me to shiver.

I had never been more paralyzed with fear in my encounters with insects. I must add that I have previously met with tarantulas, dung beetles and peppermint bugs yet none of these had me more stunned than this giant dragonfly.

I would have remained in that position for God knows what length of time if it hadn't been for my dear grandmother who suddenly opened the door from inside and greeted my smilingly.

She caught me unawares as the door suddenly flew open and there stood she all smiles to greet me. Before she could make her inquiry as to why I had been standing out so long, I barged into my house and shut the door with force increasingly horrified of the possibility that the creature may enter my house with me. Once I had finished with these stylistic maneuvers, she demanded the reasons for my strange behavior. I retorted with a one liner, my back turned away from her half-expecting to hear what she would say next.

My wise grandmother truly enlightened me that afternoon. She explained that the poor creature itself must have feared me ever so much more than I it. But this was something I had heard often enough. However, she went on throwing light on how all beings co-exist in this world and that irrespective of the gauziness of their wings, the colors on their bodies, or for that matter the flakiness of their skins, all were one and I ought to treat each one of them as my neighbors.

All insects big or small add to the beauty of this world. The least we can do for them is to provide a place to rest by letting them be wherever they wish to be even if it is the door handle of one's home.