Monday Poetry - Great & Terrible Worm

The Great and Terrible Worm

When she was just a child
The Great and Terrible Worm
Slithered its way past the veils
Of innocently dreamt nightmares,
Wrapping her in bitter coils
“Love me, Trust me – for you belong to me”
It hissed in a voice too dark
For a child to hear;
Then embraced her crushingly tight
Breaking all the tiny fragile things
That would rattle broken inside her
For the rest of her life.

When she was still a tender girl
The Great and Terrible Worm
Found her once again,
In a symphony of pitious screams
As it ran her to ground
“Love me, Trust me – For I’ll take what is mine”
It warned with eyes glittering
cold and unfeeling;
As it trapped her in the darkest shadows
Consumed what she refused to freely give
Ripping new holes inside her
That would forever bleed as tears.

When she was a young woman
The Great and Terrible Worm
Polished and painted its scales
Shining with unearthly beauty,
Then curled itself around and in her
“Love me, Trust me – give your heart to me”
It crooned in breathy whispers
Seducing away her fears;
As it drank and ate and feasted
Until fully sated,
Plucking out her heart
Before slithering on its way.

When she was a woman grown
The Great and Terrible Worm
Laid itself in worship at her feet
Worming its way past her shields
With pretty words and promises
“Love me, Trust me – share your soul with me”
It sang in a voice
Too sweet to be denied,
With a kiss full of poison
That she drank greedily with eyes nearly blind
Until the bones beneath them cut her
And she saw the truth between the lies.

When she was an old, old woman
The Great and Terrible Worm
Tried to catch her one last time
But lackluster scales slid from her
Unable to capture and keep her,
“Love me, Trust me – don’t leave me alone”
It cried in hollow echoes
Rising up for once to meet her eyes,
Eyes that reflected the sacred bones
That rattled around her deep inside,
Eyes that were filled with scornful pity
Before she closed him forever from her sight.