Howl

In the land of earth and sky,

the land of fire and soul, 

alone I watched the time go by, 

as this world grew old.

As mountains crumbled and rivers tumbled,

I wandered wild and free.

Drunk on the moon, I howled out my tune, 

the loneliest of beasts.

The cries of men haunted me-

the stench of burnt fur made me wheeze.

"Monster!  Beast!" they called, they screeched,

'til crunching bone silenced their screams.

The breeze blew salt-tinged wind to me,

clean of the scent of blood in the air.

There, in a clearing, not far from the sea,

wept a girl with fine red hair.

No flames, nor screams, nor fear greeted me;

she giggled at the feel of my nose.

"Doggy!" she hugged me, uncaring of fleas,

and I, a monster, fell for the girled called Rose.

Tears quickly dried, one last pat to my hide, 

and away to her home she went.

A house full of sounds, where love abounds,

Never to know discontent.

Away, away I loped once more,

though new purpose guided me true;

to find a witch or great sorcerer,

with vast power, granted to very few.

A man I would be, no longer mindless,

I would shed both ears and fur.

To be worthy of such fearless kindness-

to be worthy of one such as her.

As long years passed, my despair grew vast

the longer my search drew on.

A man I must be, proven worthy, 

of the fair Rose of Calleron.

One summer day, in a place far away,

weary eyes were glad to see,

there in a tower, tucked in a bower,

a witch who would bargain with me.

She spoke, "You cannot be halfway a man-

you would be thus, even in death's throes.

If you would be one of her clan, 

you cannot be a wolf in a man's clothes."

"All the better," I agreed, 

"for I am a man, deep in my soul."

Anything, anything to once again see,

that smile belonging to Rose.

"Then now, to sleep," she said to me,

"in the morn' you'll wake anew."

Nearly I slept, but awake I was kept, 

by her voice though her words were few.

"The cost is great, to thus change your fate.

How steep a price would you pay?

May you find your worth, sharing her hearth, 

having tempted the gods this way.

Later, I rose, and had no tail!

No paws nor matted fur.

So sure was I the witch would fail,

I knew not what price I owed to her.

Soon, I began my journey home, 

to my lovely Lady Rose.

Glad I was to no longer roam,

to finally find repose.

I made my love, a pair of fine gloves,

to prove my skill to her.

I made my love a pendant of fangs,

to prove my devotion to her.

The days passed thus, soon a year into dust,

and we were wed one fine spring day.

Soon, delivered of a boy, much to our joy-

the child for whom she'd prayed.

But, alas, as fate would see,

our peace could never last.

Men came from across the sea-

the flames danced across the grass.

To my regret, I had gone away;

it was later that I learned

of the tradgedy that was wrought that day.

I returned to a village burned.

To soothe my grief, my rage, my pain- blood must shower, fall like rain.

Red, such red, to match my love's hair...

I no longer feared the flame, I had only myself to blame;

Their screams would fill the air.

As seraphs fly, and sirens cry,

my loves were taken from me.

But by Death's grave ccowl, and direwolf's howl,

this world will burn at my feet.

I found them on the shoreline yet, 

their revelry not yet done.

Then, once burning sun had set,

My revelry was begun.

The shape of a man, mind of a wolf,

neither would win out.

It was madness, madnes that engulfed

any lingering shred of doubt.

When I had had my fill, and all lay still,

hot blood dripped from my fangs.

Not one body stirred, nor spoke a word,

the empty silence wrang.

She spoke to me then, the Witch of Day's End,

"Tell me, wolf, are you yet a man?"

What began as a growl, ended a howl,

Blood dripped from drenched fur as I ran.

Wrath and fury clouded my mind;

Death followed where silent paws tread.

Never trailing far behind

the path was littered with the dead.

For a moment, I wished to hate

the lovely Rose of Calleron.

Hers was a chain forged by fate-

I would break in return for our bond.

As I blinked the ashes from my lashes,

I saw from a now vast eye,

of the moon, the stars, the sun, there were none-

not a point of light in the sky.

As seraphs did fly, and sirens did cry, 

my loves were taken from me.

And by Death's grave cowl, and Fenrir-wolf's howl,

this world lay burnt at my feet.