The Maiden Poem by Barnali Saha

The Maiden
by
Barnali Saha

I was walking alone in the woods
Far away from the mortal land, the shore of earthly goods
Decked in canopy green fell the moon light soft
Though the world moved I felt that time had stopped
I stood at the pinnacle, on a mountain high
And there I saw a castle located in the mighty sky
A dark monument of splendorous shape
I gazed at it open mouthed, I looked at it agape
The broken trees around darkness bore
As I gloated in the murkiness to the days of yore
I tripped down the thorny steps and crushed the broken leaves
I looked around in the darkness to the house in the cloudy sheaves
A cold susurrating hollow wind blew past me
In the shadows my open lids botched to see
I smelled an air redolent of dried wreath
An aroma of fear reeked in my breath
Around me I heard the animals howl
On a sinister tree sat an owl
With heavy steps I swiftly moved
From earthly domain to a world removed
Soon I reached the foot of the knoll
While on the acme the castle stood in tranquil
The bereaving wind welcomed me
And grabbed my hand and dragged my knee
Lightning cracked and pour fat rain
The mysterious world danced in the terrain
From one window I saw a light
A glimpse of hope, dim or bright
I climbed up the mighty hill
And at the gate my heart stood still
The arched entrance boldly stood
I reached up the latch and knocked the hood
With a deafening sound oped the door
The strange winds ushered me in door
A baroque structure of broken bricks
A dreamy structure, an unknown trick
In the shade I entered the hall way dark
I shouted aloud but heard my echo bark
A patina of dust and grime filled the room
A broken chandelier swayed in the earthly gloom
Stacks of furniture like copses rest
With trepidation in my heart I clasped the nest
I threw away my cold raiment and draped a dusty sheet
And walked about in the room with my trembling feet
Outside a tumultuous storm raged
And cracked incessantly lightning
A stairway stood at the end of the hall
Lined were paintings in the wall
Dust scattered and smeared each corner
Bedaubing the room with her powdery cover
The bats on the ceiling looked at me
Suspicion in my heart unleashed free
In the evanescent hue of lighting I saw
A pretty face in a canvas drawn
In darkness her white face glowed
To her beauty my heart promptly bowed
I looked at the wall with hope
And looked at her in every scope
Suddenly I heard a clock strike hard
And a loud tocsin tolled the alarm
With pounding heart I looked around
But ticking clock my eyes never found
I looked again at the maiden
In the murk thought I was in Eden
The lightning revealed her deep brows high
Her ruby lips and earthly sigh
Her bright brown eyes gazed at me
Talk to me maiden, my heart would plea
Soon another lightning cracked
And thousand lights lit the dark
Amazed I screamed to myself
But my entrance lids on the painting dwelled
In the glow I saw her face
A painted rainbow, a bright, rose-red
All my fears were allayed
As spellbound at the visage I gazed
The veil of time having moved
I saw eternity in my grasp
My maiden seemed to smile to me
And asked me curiously, “Who art thou? ”
I oped my hat while she raised her brow
A stranger to your land I am
A weary traveler who from the other world came
Now she stood up from her seat
As my spellbound spirit began to beat
Her heavenly beauty filled the room
The filthy corners lighted in the gloom
With gentle steps she move to me
And grabbed my hand and pulled a key
She ushered me to a chamber high
Her hands were white, cold and dry
Mesmerized I moved to her
She opened a stony door with her key
I knew I was trapped and couldn’t flee
The room was cold and had a chair
The walls were high and the corners bare
The maiden asked me to rest in peace
While she danced her tender steps with ease
With every swirl her facade changed
Once she was pretty damsel, once a fetale-femme
Her rosy lips changed its hue
With every move like the morning dew
I saw around me forest deep
A mountains high, snowy heap
A murky world then materialized and
Grasped my lady with a thunderous sigh
I rose up and screamed No!
Alone I saw nothing but a stony gallow
I rushed to the door and smashed it hard
But I heard nothing not a word
In darkness I cried for a little help
But nobody was there to come and save
Then I felt a cold hand on me
I turned around to see the smiling bee
My damsel now decked in dark
Stood behind me as cold death lurk
“Come to me, to my world” she said
Her welling eyes implored and begged
I could feel my heart melting in pain
As I sat in the dark and rain
“Come to me, to my world” she said
Her welling eyes implored and begged
I could feel my heart melting in pain
As I sat in the dark and rain
To my surprise I uttered “Nay”
And freed my hands from her cold, cold clasp
As if resuscitating after my apparent death
I woke up from where spirits rest
One by one the stony walls broke
Soon I reached the gate again
And bade goodbye to the cold maiden
With screeching sound the manacles freed
While the painted damsel laughed in greed
I didn’t turn back and see
The painted maiden behind me
Ran I ran from the ghastly prospect
Down the hills, through the thicket
The rain still poured in fat drop
But I could not- dared not stay
With bleeding feet I ran again
An eternity passed by me
Then my eyes lights could see
I oped my eyes the next day morn
And told my folks of the maiden adorn
They rubbed my hands and blessed me
For being alive after the death land spree
The maiden had been dead for long
But the painting awakes on every dawn
To catch new preys her beauty slips
To femme-fetale with ruby lips
I closed my eyes in fearful mien
And never went to that castle again.
Yet every night I dream of her
Her painted lips her golden hair.