9 September 19 - The One – Song 7: Snakes & Dragons, Segment 4

So, we have come to the last segment of Song 7. You may be surprised at what happens in this part of the story. You may be appalled – even offended.

We have another section in italics within the segment below. You may want to figure out what is happening within it because the content is different than the italicized pieces before. In some ways, this italicized insert is a key to the meaning of the events in this part of the narrative.

Another development in this segment is a drastic change between the protagonist and Hart. Each of them makes a drastic decision. Whose decision is right”? Wrong? Keep an eye out for how this comes to pass, and whether the finale could have ended up differently.

The first swallow goes down burning and shoots

            smoky geysers exploding in my head

My eyes twitch wildly as warm blood rushes 

            radiates to every finger and toe

“Drink up now,” she says downing her whole mug

I need no encouragement.  This potent

            liquid brings its own seduction.  I down

            my mug as she lifts the bottle to pour

            the stream of deep gold liquid once again

I sink into a contentment so grand 

            I laugh out loud to feel how it holds me

                        steady, sure, all blame and imperfection

                        poor misunderstandings – all self-loathing

                        dreamy mist gone under sunbeams’ glitter

The third glass I let tingle in my mouth

            until it burns, then gulp down pure gilt fire

“Come on,” the woman says taking my hand

Her other hand grabs the treasured bottle

            and she leads me staggering toward the woods

We plod down the narrow path to its end

            She leads me farther away than before

Her eyes glint red-yellow in the sunset

We keep on drinking straight from the bottle

            reflecting light sparks in fluid patterns

            like stars sputtering out on a shrunken sea

“There’s a place I want to show you,” she croons

I follow because she holds the bottle

Pressing on, we reach a forest circle

In the center, two huge pine trunks have grown

            from one set of roots, and all around them

            copper needles fallen over jade moss

Faint daylight puts all in shadowy whirlpools

My head spins and my body feels so light

I flop down cross-legged and close my eyes

            watching the blurring thoughts and fading self

All that matters is where I’m sitting now

            where the restless doubts are finally stilled

It doesn’t matter why or how I’m here

            only that I’m free of doubt and of fear

I don’t want to open my eyes or move

I want to drift and dream inside myself

When my heavy lids do flutter open, the woman stands

            naked—clothes thrown aside – both shoes untied

“Take off your clothes,” she whispers, “and lie down

            here with me on this bed under the trees.”

“Give me another drink,” I slur coyly

“Your clothes first, then drink,” she teases holding

            the blessed bottle high over her head

“You win,” I submit and sway to standing

            pull off my thin shirt, and fall down backwards

            stagger up, kick off shoes and strip naked

“What a beauty,” she admires looking up

            and down my length.  “I think I’ve won the prize.”

“Now the bottle,” I smile and cajole her

“I’ll help you drink,” she purrs moving closer

As she lifts the bottle to my wide mouth, 

            she presses her breasts and thighs against me

I swallow fiercely in case she keeps it

I sway then crumple face down on the ground

She rolls me over and straddles my hips

I don’t care what she is doing to me

Within, I tumble over some high edge

            fall toward the center of my spinning head

Her hair falls around my face as her mouth

            locks mine and her tongue probes my lips open

My hands and arms spread limp on the mosses

From far away I hear the woman moan

I don’t care what she is doing to me

I’m too immersed in what I see inside 

            spirals snaking down toward a bright abyss

She rubs her body wildly on my hips

I look up. Shuddering breasts is all I see

            their nipples gorged and rigid near my mouth

I turn my head. “Another drink,” I smile

            and peer around her chest to see her face

She grunts and grabs the bottle propped against

            the giant double pine trees’ rough-skinned trunks

She lifts my head and holds it in one hand

            and pours the gold fire down my open throat

“That was so good,” I sigh falling farther

She resumes her harsh, frantic rubbing strokes 

            on my yielding, limp body, then she throws

            her head back and howls like some massive beast

while I fall  down unending dim channels

of green-golden spirals swirling tumbling . . .

            

I lie on a grassy ledge peering down

into a clear blue pool lined with coral,

            sand, and gray-green sea rocks.  I am searching

            desperately for the beloved I’ve lost

The water’s ripples distort my vision

I dive into the blue, sight blurring more 

I can’t stop the search though my lungs may burst

When I think I can no longer hold breath,

            I see a shadow shift drifting below

Frantically, I stroke toward it, grab its arm

            rising with the bubbles to the surface

I drag the cold limp body to the ledge

            begin long, warm breaths into the slack mouth

I exhaust my own breath as the body

            sputters, gags and spits itself back to life

I roll over on my back next to it

            and wait with my eyes closed to regain strength

As I open them, the lost one once more

            has left – a trail leads to the water’s edge

A second time I submerge searching ‘til

            drowning breaks my lungs while again I see

            the floating form – again I pull the shape

            ashore -- resuscitate ‘til I’m ashen

Once more, I close my eyes – dreaming the dream

            Waking, a worn track heads for the water

Each time I rouse and launch the search, bringing

            up the one who should be dead and I have

            no strength to keep breath in the frail body

            not enough to end the rescues or find

            my watery quest ends each time denied

I wake exhausted in a foggy blue

            lying naked on a cold wooden floor

The smell of vomit makes me wretch again

            but the spasms are dry, unproductive

“Good morning,” comes a sing-song female voice

I bolt upright and demand, “Where is Hart!?”

“I haven’t checked.  Do you want some breakfast?”

            She asks like this happens every morning

“No! Where are my clothes!?” I am angry now

“There,” she points to a heap near the woodstove

I pull them on, groggy, stumbling, while she

            just continues stirring and says nothing

I run frenziedly to the broken dock

The red boat is still there         but Hart is not

Delirious with fear and nausea

I race back to the shack and choking shout,

            “What have you done with Hart!? Tell me now, witch

            I grab her arm and whirl her to face me

            but she swings the other fist straight at me

            and the punch lays me flat on the foul floor

“Such a short distance between love and hate”

            She wags her finger at me and turns back

            to the wood stove and her nonstop cooking

“Where is Hart!?” I demand getting back up

“How should I know my sweetest woodland love.”

“I’m not your love!” I gag once more at the

            thought of what has happened to me, and worse

            of what unearthly things she’s done to Hart

“You should be more careful how much you drink.

            Don’t try to keep my pace.  You’re not a match.”

I grab her greasy hair - yank her head back

“Ow!” She yelps.  “Now you’ve gone and made me mad.”

            Her booted foot kicks hard into my knee

I grasp the table to keep from falling

This is all futile – she’ll tell me nothing

I bolt out the door and run limping back

            into the woods where I trip and fall but

            keep on going wildly searching for Hart

Looking for a shallow grave, I scramble 

toward the onion patch, but there is no sign

of a grave or ground disturbed anywhere

I sink to my knees on the fragile plants

            and bury my face in my hands and sob

            ‘til I can barely breathe.  I tear soil up

            by the fistful scattering tender plants

I wail and scream alone and no one hears

“What have I done!?  What have I done!?” I gasp

            and it is worse not knowing what I’ve done

            then if my tears fell on Hart’s ravaged corpse

I run back to the dock and to the boat

I drop down and see a scrap of paper

            wedged in the storage lid.  I grab and read 

            the scrawled words – “I stayed as long as I could”

Hart’s alive!  Just gone.  I have to follow!

I rip the line off the piling, grab oars

            and row away from this snake-lead nightmare

            and toward what I can only guess and fear

I stroke hard back down the curving channel

I don’t know if he’s gone this way but it

            feels right to row fast away from that place

I reach the river far faster than when

            we followed the snake to that broken pier

As I enter the breadth of the river

            I know with a steady inner compass

            which way Hart would turn – upriver and home

I pull hard against the current both to

            skirt the main flow and to stay close to shore

I strain my eyes for Hart’s thin, limping form

and when I think my arms and lungs will break

            Hart appears, heading north, just as I thought

crippled, facing home, swaying side to side,

            determined and thoroughly one-pointed

When I pull alongside, no greeting comes

            just keeps plodding ahead toward Chickopee

            hung from the left shoulder, a blanket pack 

“Hart! I am so sorry!” My voice breaking

but no sign of recognition at all 

I beach the boat and go running after

Two limping cripples, but my wound lies far

            inside and not in my leg, and I soon

            catch up and wildly plead, “Please listen, Hart!

            “Please listen! I was so wrong.  Talk to me!

            I’ll do whatever you want from now on.”

Stopping short, Hart whirls, and glares with loathing

            “It’s too late! What’s done is done.  I begged you

to leave, but no, you chose her and not me!”

“What can I do to change your mind?” I plead

“You?  Nothing. You’ve already done too much.”

            Hart continues steady walking northward

“You were right,” I sob. “I was so stupid.”

Suddenly, Hart turns and points at my head                                                               

“You were drunk and naked and so was she

            I’m crippled but not blind! You make me sick!

            It was quite clear you both enjoyed yourselves.”

“Hart, I was drunk. It all makes me so sick.”

“That usually happens when you drink too much.”

Spittle lands in the sand next to my feet,

            Hart turns, says no more, and presses on North

I run and grab an arm.  “Please Hart! Please. Please.”

Shaking me off, the final words bitter

“Go! Get away from me! Leave me alone!

            

The cutting words reverberate in my head

and I know this is irretrievably

finished – gone beyond any rescue – but

            I call after that I will wait right here

            for days – for a coming back – words grow weak

                        as I drop to the wet, cold-river sand

I watch ‘til there is nothing more to see

            An empty boat. The river. Sea-bound me.

Background:

The incidents narrated in this segment are almost predictable based on the dynamics, personalities, and motivations of the characters. The woman has obviously been on her own for quite some time, and her moral compass appears skewed. Perhaps she has harbored fairly normal urges that because of her isolation have emerged in unsavory ways. As for our main character, we have to wonder if this is the first encounter with intoxication. Falling for the woman’s importunities, a grand cascade of base instincts and quick satisfactions fall over better natures. Haven’t we all been in similar situations? If not, doubts and fears have probably blocked the way. And although the doubts and fears may feel inconvenient at the time, they do their job very well.

Exploration 1: Have you, or someone you know well, ever done something which resulted in great regret, anger at self, and/or sorrow? Can you also have compassion for yourself? Are you able to generate compassion for our protagonist?

Exploration 2: Do you find it believable that the main character would fall into the woman’s seduction? What kind of emotions does this segment of the Song bring up?

Exploration 3: Do you think that Hart did the right thing in the end? Would you be in favor of his decision? Examine his motives and the emotions underlying his decision. Would you be able to leave a dear friend who had done what the protagonist did?

Exploration 4: In comments made related to prior segment posts, some of you expressed eagerness for the appearance of dragons. Several have already appeared. Can you identify any or all of them?

NEXT: Song 8 – The City – Segment 1

You can read the full texts of Songs 1-6 by clicking here.