Member-only story
The Raven’s Nightcrawl
In the darkest hour of the year
My bird and I step into the starry field
And an inky well opens at my feet.
The well was summoned by the raven-bird
To guide us into the warm stomach
Of the ancient, fragrant soil.
As we fly down the well for century-seconds
The years flicker before my closed eyes
And I regret, I doubt, I wonder, I die, I am reborn.
When we reach the well’s bottom
Where no light has licked the walls
I turn to my raven
What brings you down will rise you up,
He says with his lightless beaded eyes.
I curl into myself, deep in the earth-womb
Give myself to consciousness
And when my raven soars
I am weightless.
© Lisa Once 2024. All Rights Reserved.
