There
Beneath The Willow
By Oscar S. Cisneros
There beneath the willow sat a woman in a dress
Twirling twixt her fingers the spinning coils of a tress;
A curly lock of black cascading down her face.
Her countenance was pale, like her gown of spider lace.
Raucous were the squawkings and the calls heard by the maiden.
On the breeze there came a-gliding a darkly feathered raven.
He perched atop a rock, eyed the pretty girl,
And noted with some thought how much he liked the color of her curls.
She seemed somehow gentle, not like those others of her race.
Indeed he saw a sweetness and kindness upon her face.
Started from her study by this bird as black as night,
She turned her eyes to study the wings that gave him flight.
Long they were for soaring as a spirit in the wind.
She recalled her dreams of flying and spied a bit of them in him.
"I've heard the tale
about the raven with a bauble in its beak,"
She slowly told the raven, half expecting him to speak.
"As have I," cried the raven, "That was a very lucky bird
To trade a royal ruby for the affection of a girl!"
"So what have you to offer, Mr. Raven, if you're so smart?
It will take far more than baubles for you to win my heart."
"Pearls of wisdom," cried the raven. "A beak that builds a nest.
Add to that a sense of honor and the downy feathers of my crest."
"Oh, you're clever, Mr. Raven, weaving words like spider webs.
How do I know you're honest and not a charlatan instead?"
"Wise you are to doubt words spoken by a stranger
And only time will tell if my claws pose any danger,
But ask your this moment, 'If this raven does speak lies
Then why do I find my tummy is filled with butterflies?'"
With that the lady blushed. Of course, the raven felt the same.
And neither could deny the how much the loved to play this game.
There beneath the willow began a fabled loved affair:
A princess and a raven; a most unlikely pair.
