I dreamt that I sat at the table of the Winter King;
eyes as black as the midnight sky,
skin as pale as unblemished milk,
attired in the velvet night he sat as stone at the center of all his guests.
Friends,
enemies,
beloved,
tormentors,
the Angel of Light to his right,
the Demon of Dark to his left.
Upon none would he look,
but to me his gaze did stray.
Of hurt long left to suffer,
Of love’s never dying flame,
Of loneliness seething beyond eternity…
I heard friends whispering,
speaking no louder,
and never for him.
Enemies devised his death,
on parchment at a roll of the die.
She never saw her host,
but all fell in love with her beauty,
never knowing of her abandonment.
Tormentors, four,
snickered and laughed,
over a map,
over age-old pranks.
Sherbet lemons,
masking indifferent need.
Sibilant affection,
masking indifferent need.
I dreamt that I sat at the table of the Winter King;
eyes as black as the midnight sky,
skin as pale as unblemished milk,
attired in the velvet night he sat as stone at the center of all his guests…
No one could be more alone.
~ Jayne d’Arcy ~
This was so beautiful as well as so sad. My heart weeps for the Winter King. I know the feeling of being utterly alone in a room full of people. Very few people will understand this unless they have gone through it, to be surrounded by friends, enemies, and even possibly family and still feel so alone. Thank you for sharing and brava!
Thank you, Kim. I’m pleased the poem resonated with you.
I read your prose and my heart literally broke in two. I could feel the loneliness, hurt and despair clinging like unshod tears to every word.
Severus Snape was such a misunderstood and highly used individual, and the person I blame the most is the one who should have loved him like a son. Sometimes it sickens me just to think about Albus Dumbledore who in my opinion, was even worse than the Dark Lord. At least with Voldemort you knew almost up front what you were getting, whilst Dumbledore hid his schemes for the overall good, behind twinkling eyes and sherbet lemons.
I have always seen the potions master exactly as you painted him, surrounded by people, yet always alone.
The Winter King indeed.
You should post this treasure on Tumblr or Deviantart if you have not done so already.
I thought Albus Dumbledore was twinkling sweet in the first book. It took me awhile to re-think Dumbles motives, and it makes me angry at times. Thank you for coming by to read. I did post the poem at DA, and posted a link at Tumblr. I would do more, but I am wearing out.