| THE LORELEI SIGNAL |
.
| Written by Beatriz F. Fernandez / Artwork by Marge Simon |
| Warrior Champion |
In a nameless clearing
she stands alone
an ancient dimming sun
shines on her lined brow
Her eyes glow with eagerness,
and hunger for the battle,
for in her mind
she is always the victor
and when she dreams,
she dreams of killing
and not being able to stop,
that is her only fear
She is young yet,
and she will never be old
hers is a timeless life
weaving through other longer lives
like a flash of lightning
in a clouded evening sky
She follows the creed
she was born to
without knowing why
she takes life for pleasure
or for gain,
and sometimes spares it,
but she will never give life
for another to kill
The time grows near
the battle banners blow
the signal rises on the wind,
how luminous her eyes become
how sun-bright her hair!
she gazes at her opponent
as one would a lover,
with a slow, sensuous movement
she brandishes her blade
Her smile holds a secret promise
an invitation glows in her glance
she holds all fulfillment in her hands . . .
how can we doubt her?
whenever death seems certain,
see how cleanly she escapes
and when her skill fails her, her luck
does not, and somehow she is never
where the blow is struck
Suddenly she seems the only assurance
we will ever have of immortality;
while she lives, we live by her
if she dies, we too meet our death
we have one heartbeat,
we have one breath
we feel the sweat run down our backs
we feel our knee give way in pain
For years to come
our bards will tell and retell
the tale of her fate;
as though we could forget
the look on her face
as she fell--
sooner would we believe
that the day's sun would set
and never rise again;
yet in her eyes,
in her young-old eyes,
there was no surprise,
only, perhaps, regret.
she stands alone
an ancient dimming sun
shines on her lined brow
Her eyes glow with eagerness,
and hunger for the battle,
for in her mind
she is always the victor
and when she dreams,
she dreams of killing
and not being able to stop,
that is her only fear
She is young yet,
and she will never be old
hers is a timeless life
weaving through other longer lives
like a flash of lightning
in a clouded evening sky
She follows the creed
she was born to
without knowing why
she takes life for pleasure
or for gain,
and sometimes spares it,
but she will never give life
for another to kill
The time grows near
the battle banners blow
the signal rises on the wind,
how luminous her eyes become
how sun-bright her hair!
she gazes at her opponent
as one would a lover,
with a slow, sensuous movement
she brandishes her blade
Her smile holds a secret promise
an invitation glows in her glance
she holds all fulfillment in her hands . . .
how can we doubt her?
whenever death seems certain,
see how cleanly she escapes
and when her skill fails her, her luck
does not, and somehow she is never
where the blow is struck
Suddenly she seems the only assurance
we will ever have of immortality;
while she lives, we live by her
if she dies, we too meet our death
we have one heartbeat,
we have one breath
we feel the sweat run down our backs
we feel our knee give way in pain
For years to come
our bards will tell and retell
the tale of her fate;
as though we could forget
the look on her face
as she fell--
sooner would we believe
that the day's sun would set
and never rise again;
yet in her eyes,
in her young-old eyes,
there was no surprise,
only, perhaps, regret.
| Make a donation |
Beatriz F. Fernandez read Andre Norton’s The Zero Stone in the
5th grade and has been hooked on science fiction and fantasy ever
since. She’s been writing poetry since age five. She was the 2007
Grand Prize winner of the Writer’s Digest 2nd annual poetry
contest. She has an upcoming poetry publication in the spring
online issue of Verse Wisconsin. Beatriz is one of the few classic
Star Trek fans who likes Enterprise, the series. She’s married to
an astronomer and works as a university Reference Librarian in
Florida.
5th grade and has been hooked on science fiction and fantasy ever
since. She’s been writing poetry since age five. She was the 2007
Grand Prize winner of the Writer’s Digest 2nd annual poetry
contest. She has an upcoming poetry publication in the spring
online issue of Verse Wisconsin. Beatriz is one of the few classic
Star Trek fans who likes Enterprise, the series. She’s married to
an astronomer and works as a university Reference Librarian in
Florida.