almost gothic

seaward dusk

a woman
hair spun black
as midnight

a man
handsome
as lost youth

by a river
hearts full
of their own
deep mystery

a dirt road winds itself
slowly uphill

a dovecote a ruined mill
the river’s mouth
its crumbled jetty
granite cliffs gullies
swollen water

one kiss on cold crimson lips
black ruin on the horizon

walls
stone-cracked corridors
a spiral stair

sea stacks and seabirds
crying on the wind
wild terrible waves

step by step up winding stones
a window open to darkness
clouds across dying daylight
Venus falling

love’s fierce dream
the apex of desire
mouths and veins
skin and sinew touching

a whisper a pulse
a river of tears flooding
a fist clenched for passion

nothing will harm you
nothing can kill you now
nor ever again

he felt her absence
his arms full of shadow

© BH, 2018

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Written as a poem submission on a Gothic theme. Now much revised. Hopefully chiseled to an essence.

The source was Slains Castle and I had considered 'slains' as the title but I couldn't get it to work. Instead, I opted for 'almost gothic' from the Steely Dan song of that name.

I had to wait and see if this one won any prizes…

…but it didn't. So, eight months later I've released it into the wild. Fly, my beauty, fly!