The Selfling

I saw her first in the lighting flash

That lit her up in the storm,

The rain was beating on down to slash

Her more than shapely form,

She’d just emerged from a woodland copse

Was soaked as she could be,

So came to shelter beneath the

Mighty Oak, along with me.

Her hair was more than bedraggled, but

As black as a phantom crow,

Her clothes were old and ragged, but

They clung to her figure so,

I asked her what had possessed her then

To wander out in the rain,

She looked at me and began to pout,

‘I could well ask you the same.’

I said I wasn’t prepared for it,

It came down out of the blue,

Just as the sun went underground

And dark, so what about you?

She said that she only ventured out

When the daylight was eclipsed,

In wind and storm she was newly born

On an evening such as this.

But then she sighed and I saw her eyes

Weren’t blue or green, but black,

Her lips an unearthly red, like blood,

No lipstick looked like that.

She said, ‘they call me The Selfling, for

I offer myself for free,

I give whatever you want, but then

I take what I want for me.’

She lay down under that mighty tree

And pulled me down on top,

Onto a pile of Autumn leaves,

And said, ‘now don’t you stop.’

I must confess that I did no less

Than The Selfling said to do,

As she took me into that wilderness

There was pain and pleasure too.

Her teeth bit into my helpless wrist

As we rolled there in the mud,

I felt my essence begin to ebb

As she took a pint of blood.

When I awoke I was on my own

Though I caught a final glimpse,

Of her, in a flash of lightning, though

I’ve never seen her since.

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[BlackRose]

Haven't reviewed in a while. Touching up on some of my works [starting new ones too along the way] that needs finishing while not for forgetting all of you my cafe friends to review your writings. Mine have to be just RIGHT, the perfect wording and all, no rushing. Another mastery as usual from you. LOVE this!! A bit of vampiric sultry to it.

[Pragati Chaudhary]

Decoded :)
beautiful conspiracy of words............Loved it David

[T.S. Sky]

This is another great story. Love it.

[Maxwell Ryder]

Always the right amount of rhyme, story-telling, and old school in your stuff. Liked the tale...and the title here.

[TPK Stories]

Interesting story and well written as always...love reading your stories...

[Coyote Poetry]

A very interesting tale written my friend. The Selfling wanted little and gave a lot. I enjoyed the tale in the poetry. Thank you David for sharing your amazing poetry.
Coyote

[Devin Gates]

ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIC! I really enjoy reading your work!

[Wendy Seames Garner]

So happy to see that you are still working your magic, David, I so enjoy your work!

[Barbz]

Tell me, how do you do it. How do you give perfect rhyme and meter to a tale that is filled with the ugliest side of pleasure yet draws us into your world of magical fantasies. I was riveted from the jump!Barbz