Dryad

(Besides participating in the 2013 Blogging A to Z April Challenge, I'm also participating in National Poetry Writing Month. In NaPoWriMo, I'm supposed to write a poem a day for the whole month. Yes, I'm crazy. Here's the first poem.)

Dryad

In the shadow of an ancient tree,
she stood nude, watching my labors
until I laid down my rake and saw her.

Fair skin like the flesh of an oak,
hair like the golden leaves of autumn,
she smiled at me and beckoned.

What manner of man could resist
such a lovely creature, her only
clothing the spring wind.

Cradled in her long arms,
I only heard her whisper,
“To live requires blood.”

Once, twice, the scythe gleamed.
An ending pain and now I spread
budding limbs toward the blessed sun.

(Copyright 2013 by Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved. No copying without prior permission. Thank you for reading.)