Parts of Me

Star Child

Today I saw a star child

She shone with radiant light

She said she’d guide me through the deepest forest

And through the darkest night.

Her hands were small and delicate

Her hair a silvery haze

Her skin as pale as moonlight,

And steady was her gaze.

She wore a spider web garment,

Sweet, and smooth to touch.

She held her hand out to mine

And gentle was her clutch.

Her hair smelt like morning dew

Her laughter was a bell.

Her eyes looked like golden honey,

Like where sweet things dwell.

She led me down the cobbled path

And told me of her name.

“Lifian” – her voice was bubbling water

That from the mountains came.

“I am the daughter of a star,”

She whispered in my ear.

She pointed – “See? That is my mother,”

So upwards I did peer.

The star which she was pointing to

To which she did refer,

Shone with white and silver

’Twas the one I did prefer.

“Come!” called out Lifian

I jolted: she was ahead

She danced and skipped along a path

And so the way she led.

She ran gaily towards the looming forest

As though she were a bird,

“Wait!” I cried out from behind,

“There’s bad things there, I’ve heard.”

She span around on dainty toes

And gave me a small smile,

“You’re safe with me, no need to fear

The ill-rumoured forest of Guile.”

Now I felt unsure,

And slightly out of place;

My mother had warned me of gypsy-children

Who lured the innocent to waste.

“I am just a star child,”

Said she, reading my thought,

“I am here to play and have fun:

Stardust’s all I’ve ever caught.”

She batted her honey eyes and said,

“Please come with me to play.

I’ve no friends in the heavens:

They’re all old, boring and plain.”

The star child had my heart

I could not refuse.

“Promise that you’ll lead me well

Or the other choice I’ll choose.”

She swore on her life and soul

And on her mother’s, too,

Then led me by a dainty hand

And said, “We’ll have fun here, me and you.”

The ends of her silvery hair brushed my face

As she ran and led the way.

Now I felt truly safe and sound

As if danger were at bay.

And so into the dark forest,

The one I’d always been warned of.

But now I laughed with the star child

And felt free as a dove.

The twisted trees leered down on us,

And frowned in disapproval.

“What are you doing here?” the leaves whispered

“We’d be glad of your removal …”

But I was with the star child,

So I did not hear

The warnings that the trees gave us

And I didn’t feel the fear.

Lifian and I had much fun

And played many silly games;

We deftly scaled a tree, and then

In loud voices did proclaim:

“Hey! Hey, trees! We are not scared of you!

Silly are your dark leaves and twisted bough

Silly are your wandering roots;

We think you’re silly! – did you know?”

Lifian and I played hide and seek

And peek-a-boo in the branches

We would run races through the trees

And debate on the chances:

“I shall win! my legs are fast

And steady is my heart.”

“No you shall lose, for I will win –

Are you ready to start?”

When we finally tired, we stumbled out

Of the dreaded forest of Guile.

Oh! – what fun I’d had there

With Lifian, the star child.

But Lifian’s face fell to a frown

When she saw the dawn was near coming:

“Oh,” her small mouth formed the word,

“I’d thought we’d spent less time running.”

She turned to me, tears in her eyes;

My cheek she gently kissed.

“It’s too late for me to return home,”

Then she evaporated like morning mist.

I cried many tears for the star child

If I had’ve known

That in the dawn she’d surely die

I’d never have let her roam.

Certainly not in the forest of Guile

Which pulled a trick on us after all;

It made time pass swifter than it should;

The fun had been a shawl.

All the star child had wanted

Was fun, if it was the last thing she did.

It turned out that it was in the end

Of Lifian the world had been rid.

******

A/N: Recently I posted a continuation of Star Child, called Aeolian and Ionian. Here is the link if you want to read: http://www.wattpad.com/12486537-parts-of-me-aeolian-and-ionian Enjoy!