Poem: "Faeries of the Orchard" (Part 2 / 2, "October Orchards")

Image by Eric Roy via Flickr (CC); edited

Faeries of the Orchard

October Orchards Part II

By: Eve Estelle

Among the fertile soils, the lush grasses,

The fruit-bearing trees

In plotted rows, the earthy smell of autumn

Sets fire to the leaves

Alight in gold and umber,

And bright spherules, diminutive suns,

Frolic, they flit upon the breeze --

Whisking 'neath the boughs,

They harvest till slumber,

And they nurture the blooms

Unencumbered by fall's decay;

Nourished by the shrooms,

They burn in shades of night, of day,

But lo -- the orchard's playful gard'ners

Might soon be lost among the fray,

As wand'ring spirits, benign heralds,

Come before the bloodthirsty beasts --

Like the howling cur that stalks within,

Who would sooner make these faeries feasts;

There, he hunts, spurred by hunger,

Blighted coat as black as sin;

Trailing shadows, he slows to hunker,

Poised to leap and smite his prey --

O, smothered flame, no sound escapes;

But as he's sown, so now he reaps,

And paid shall be his debt to fae --

For vengeance comes on limbs of vine,

Wicked barbs with souls afire,

Given life that no fiend should dine

Upon ashes this hallowed night...

"Waste not one more kin of mine,"

The Fae Queen's warning rings,

"Restless dead, on your yearly voyage;

Suffer not this wolf's bite, leave be

My lights, and by morn's decree

Retire, back to th' void. Avanti,

My guard! Bring home my fae."

Author's note: "October Orchards" is the collective title of a two-part series of Halloween-inspired poems.

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Part I: "Rising Guard"

Part II: "Faeries of the Orchard"
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My apologies for how long this took to finish! Wow. As always, thank you for being patient with me. :)