Zuchinni - Penny Stirling

[highlyeccentric]

For a flock of saffron rocs harvested:
paid, fed, proffered just one bed.
She beneath and I atop the sheets;
correction more tiring than recent feats.

Immunity to desire-poisons
brings a brisk cull of spring sirens.
Drink success with friends whispering
who force "privacy" on us, winking.

She overwhelms with axe in hand;
I wield were-bells and spell-sand.
Partners in life and adventure — not lovers,
nor colleagues, "just friends" or sisters.

The witch who yearly orders troll eyes
first thought us makeshift allies
in tandem until finding man or god.
Nine seasons on, still calls us odd.

Guide a mageling through his winter trial.
Smiling, he insists we are "in denial".
Then a grin: if not "taken", aren't we "free"?
Flirting spurned, he rebukes our humanity.

After reaping elves I stew their bones,
brewing salves for her skin-turned-stone.
While she heals I rarely leave her side,
ignoring chat that she's kin or bride.

In the home we will only build
once our questing hunger is filled
we'll shed lies, armour and conjecture
and just be us, growing old together.

---

Also from the latest edition of Goblin Fruit

Comments

[liv]

You will probably not be surprised to know I love this! Thanks for posting it.