Gynith Roberts

'long, 'bout midnight

Darkness lifts her inky veil

And a chorus of night creatures

Chant in harmony from the murky swamp.

Wandering in and out of

Misty clouds that never sleep

The silvery Queen of the Skies

Casts moonbeams on still waters.

'long, 'bout midnight

The shadowy, bewitching Legend of the Swamp

Takes form as she rises from the deep,

Dancing and swaying in unison

With long, gray beards of living moss

That cascade from whispering oaks.

A gentle breeze rustles her gown,

Sounds of the creatures cease

And the night becomes

Hushed as a village of the dead.

With flowing, ebony locks,

Eyes like red coals of fire

And arms lifted to the Heavens

This Mistress of the Night

Weeps and wails for lost loves.

Her haunting cries permeate the shadows

And echo through the blackness.

Crystal teardrops fall as rain

Into the dark abyss of motionless water.

Only silence of the ebony night answers her plea.

As quietly as she rose

The Legend of the Swamp

Disappears into her watery tomb

To await the next black velvet hour.

Once again the misty night comes alive.

Swamp creatures lift their voices in song,

The Queen peeps from behind a cloud

And trees bend and sway to rhythm of the wind.

'long, ' bout midnight.