down by dotting brook by Tharidi Walimunige

down by dotting brook

by Tharidi Walimunige [CW: blood]

golden rays of midday glide around lavender bouquets, dangling in doorways—

place your ring fi nger at petal’s edge and wait for ladybirds evacuating,

single fi le, a stream of red bleeding down the back of your hand, a scuttling heart-line.

midnight calls rope to bedposts over / under / around / through rabbit holds true, its tail locked by iron.

twelve chimes in the bed alights as if taking a breath. water swells on fl oorboards, a pond of fronds, sunset lilies and glowing mushrooms have come to visit you,

and snaking through algae is a feathery dragon. whiskers tickling your nose, you wait for its cheeky nip THWACK! a wooden spoon to the snout works wonders.

dreamtime now; a lonesome lily and pad have followed you, webbed clasp peels the purple petal to peek. you’re to play host to an emerald frog with a message:

“this is no place for your head!” says the amphibian, and with a speedy SQUICK! its propelled tongue moistly meets the centre of your forehead.

it pulls and pulls, and with an almighty YANK! off goes your head, spouting glitter rain by the fountain of your bereaved neck. to the clouds frog and bounty both.

tea fi rst thing in the morning you don’t notice the fairy nibbling at congealed crystals of sugar, crusted to the bottom of your cup— too late,

you pour. drifting to the top, drowned fae of chamomile clogged wings fi shed out. it is fated for the inky embrace of a fresh trash bag.

prick of a fi nger on tooth of white picket, you pledge to the winking lights barely caught at the edge of your sight. blood drop wakes and blood drop welcomes all to the thatched roof nestled in forest depths.