star-crossed paramour

The prince of Venuptra
Limerick

Taurus, son of Luto and Atur, the youngest of the three,
rebellious, player of the stars and evil-do-er, he'll always disagree,
handsome, shameful, disgraceful, as he’s described
though one thing is for sure, he will never betray nor be bribed,
he will never listen nor bid adieu, let him be

The Masquerade Ball
Free verse

Before the war, the three worlds lived in unity,
There were differences, but they had peace,
Venuptra masked an alliance beneath
a grand Masquerade Ball

As a cover to bind the worlds as one,
Yet underneath is all,
A bride was sought for Archer,
Taurus’s second oldest brother.

All were invited, none denied,
From sky, sea and land.
Zephyrs and Aquarians arrived,
Venuptrians close at hand

Queen Morayna came adorned in gold,
With roses as white as snow,
For alliance sake, as she’d been told,
Though she’d rather not go

She wished to stay and count the stars,
Alone in her empty castle,
Instead of courts and masked being,
That never seemed to fill this endless night

They roamed the halls,
With greetings small and big,
For four hours only,
Then danger would claim most of them

For Zephyrs and Aquarians,
The air would not be breathable anymore,
If they stayed
They knew they would never see another day

A waiting table with moon-light,
Taurus with his third drink,
Surrounded by laughter
and several ladies

He kept himself in line
His mother’s warning call,
One misstep more,
And he would see his final fall

Morayna tired of dance
and empty smiles,
She quietly left the floor,
And stepped onto the balcony

There she stood,
In wonder and amaze,
For never had she seen
So many stars up close

The stars, like fairy-lights above,
So near they seemed to be,
She breathed them in with quiet love
And tranquility

A voice behind her broke the air,
“Insufferable, aren’t they?”
A masked man with ocean eyes,
Wearing a light blue mask with pearls aligned

Though hers concealed what lay behind,
He read it in her eyes
“Are you speaking of the stars?” she said,
“What else is there?” the stranger asked

Yet he could read the confusion on her face,
“Are you talking about the stars?” she asked,
“What else is there to talk about?”
“Do share your thoughts,” Morayna encouraged him.

“Imagine living in the night,
With stars as your only sight,
A world with endless darkness
How insufferable that curse,”

“Like a dream,” Morayna replied,
“How could that be?” he questioned,
Without looking at her

“I must now take my leave,
A pleasant night to you,”
She turned around
Back to the ballroom

Taurus left with his thirteenth drink now,
Yet he didn’t sway,
Morayna looked back once more,
And collided right into him

He didn’t wait for an apology
And the night went on in dance
Yet still within Morayna’s mind
The strangers' words echoed a thousand times.

How could one not adore the stars,
Their beauty, calm and gleam?
How can one only see them as scars
And not a perfect dream?

Cold, cold, desperate night
this is the night talking to
all those who should be sleeping
instead of roaming around (Venuptrians)

Who made you so restless?
Was it that cold, cold, desperate night?
Do not go easy with that gentleness
For it's a cold, cold, desperate night
I just wish you could see
The way that you question
that cold, cold desperate night
It makes you crazier and delusional
For you're the prettiest of them all
In that cold, cold, desperate night

Oh Stranger! Dear Stranger!
Elegy (inspired by O Captain! My Captain)

(Morayna's point of view)

Oh stranger! Dear stranger! our conversation was left unfinishable,
The ball is long over, and the thoughts are locked away never attainable,
Winter is near, soon the Aquarians will return, my people are on stand by,
While everyone was preparing, my memories were fragmentary and woozy;
Oh mind! Dear mind! Mind!
Oh the darkness of the night,
Where my lovely stars dance,
Alone on a sad lonely night.

Oh stranger! Dear stranger! stand up and listen to my cries;
Stand up, for you are the uproar in my dreams, for you are causing me all this distress,
For you are wearing me out and make me question my believes, for you i’m aching,
For you I call upon the stars, the moon and their listening;
Here stranger! Beloved stranger!
This soul who doesn’t know you or the night
Hopes to meet you once again,
Alone on a sad lonely night.

Dear stranger you do not answer, your voice is hushed and absent,
Beloved stranger does not hear me, he has no interest nor will,
Zephyr is ready, let’s welcome the Aquarians, there’s no time for feelings,
From calling on to the stranger who has occupied my mind;
Close away your thoughts!
With a mournful heart in fright,
i walk in the palace,
Alone on a sad lonely night.

We are Royals
Ode (inspired by Ode on Solitude)

(Taurus’s point of view)

Praise to the family, whose love and care,
Are never-ending happiness,
Grateful for Venuptra and shooting stars fair,
In its own atmosphere.

Whose fae with wings, whose angels with blessings,
Whose people dedicate unwavering devotion,
Whose stars in the night sky shine with bright dressings,
In moon-lit crownings’ motion.

Glorify, who commits to keep
Thirty-eight hours of the night,
For kingdom’s sake, for family’s sake, not asleep,
Awake at night in light.

Blood spilled by night for greater goods,
Together forever; bitter redemption;
Integrity intact as it always stood,
Which makes all the difference in intention.

Alas let me bow down, on knee, with head,
Alas let me say proud aloud,
Venuptra is the family, not a world widespread,
Tell me that I’m wrong, aloud.

For in truth
Chant Royal

(Morayna’s point of view)

“It must not be revealed,” she warned him,
How did she even get there, she asked herself?
For days before, she was wailing to him,
Only to speak once, though it cost herself.
She would have given all to hear him again,
Alas, here he was, skies, earth, and oceans then.
They had all heard her plea, her call, her wish,
And now they stood together in hidden niche.
In hushed voices, dark corners, their words conversed,
For she was Queen, yet careful not to resist,
for in truth; he was right

“I wished upon the stars to see you, look,
They made it happen, they truly are magical,
One must admit,” she begged him, reading her book,
“I stand by light; the dark is not practical.
My destiny is not yours, my queen,
The night will not serve you; you must be seen.
How she felt sad, how she felt dark and irked,
She was not darkness; her light must be worked.
“Don’t be upset, my queen, for only in light,
Can you shine fully and do what is right,
for in truth; he was right

He continued, “As you love stars, you forget,
It is the night that makes them burn so bright.
In cloudy skies, there is nothing but threat,
You belong in Zephyr, not in the night.
Not with the stars, which outshine all you know,
They remain, steadfast, refusing to go.
You can change, return, and rule your land,
Build a better kingdom with your own hand.
Your days are fleeting, your choices remain,
The stars will shine, but you can still sustain,
for in truth; he was right

She felt like fainting, for none had seen her true,
Explaining her to herself in mere words.
A hundred lines were enough to construe,
Doubts of her world, her people, her birds.
Was she darkness, or only within?
Did he corrupt her? Could he begin?
She was the queen, outraged at his claim,
Her guest, yet he spoke, she felt the same.
But deep inside, her heart would not fight,
She had longed for him to speak with her might,
for in truth; he was right

“You are right,” she whispered. “I know,” he said,
“Nothing is sadder than a Queen in despair.
Stand, for your people must be fed,
Your kingdom waits, and your crown must bear.
He wiped her cheeks; she closed her eyes,
Searching again for stars in the skies.
They would not return, they had their own place,
Yet still she stood, her heart full of grace.
Darkness no longer consumed all her sight,
Only a path she could now write
for in truth; he was right

She saw him fade, yet she felt light,
Questioned fate, still held him tight,
Love pulled her forward, harsh but bright,
Though Zephyr forbade her mingling with might,
for in truth; he was right

Dearly beloved,
Blacked out poetry from “The little prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery” p25-26, 28

(Taurus’s point of view)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(betrothed) Felici


(former paramour) Edina


(clandestine paramour) Freya

Atur
Queen of Venuptra

(Taurus’s point of view)

Oh mother,
Dear mother,
Please don’t be crying,
Please don’t be infuriated,
I’ll do better, i’ll try hard, i’m sorry
This time its true
I’m not ready to walk alone,
Please don’t sentence me
to ends of the world,
For you know
i’ll always return,
I wish i could change,
But you know i won’t

Archer & Hunter
prince & crown-prince of Venuptra

(Taurus’s point of view)

Brothers, my brothers, no matter how old we are,
Blood is what binds us and nothing more,
I’m far too young to understand what you’ve
Both been through, but i’d like to try
Forgive me for my juvenile behavior,
Its all i know and that’s how you know,
That this is a lie, brothers

Luto
King of Venuptra

(Taurus’s point of view)

Yes sir, no sir, ofcourse sir, without question sir,
Forgive me sir, i don’t quite understand sir,
It won’t happen again sir, good day to you sir,
You’d be surprised to discover that i’m actually not fond
of strawberries at all sir. Nevertheless, your royal highness
of the entire kingdom have you seen my father amidst it all?

leave it all behind
Ghazal (inspired by Hip-Hope Ghazal)

(Morayna’s point of view)

Young and all, nevermore stargazing, should I still my restless mind, leave it all behind,
I never wonder, little birdie, keep dancing, turn and gently find, leave it all behind.

Shall we choose happiness or duty to the kingdom, heart and mind, leave it all behind,
Not so difficult, they say, yet my love waits softly, calling me to find, leave it all behind.

So silent,sweet, I’m unsure now, oh dear, what shall I do, I’m losing my mind, leave it all behind,
Slipping into madness slowly, not yet ready, not so willing, still half blind, leave it all behind.

I need guidance, I need light, more flowers blooming deeply in the dark to find, leave it all behind,
Is this what flying feels like, are you sure, are you certain, are you somehow blind, leave it all behind.

Queen is such a task, a heavy crown, such weight and duty, yet I’m still kind, leave it all behind,
Am I not a woman too, needing time and breath, not fully yet resigned, leave it all behind.

The merfolk linger, trustees handle all while I’ve grown distant in my mind, leave it all behind,
Absent, cold, afraid, alone, yet I, I, stand divided, “I” not yet aligned, leave it all behind.

Favorite
Free verse (inspired by My Favourite Things - Julie Andrews)

(Taurus’s point of view)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Speak the truth boy, give up the name!” - Luto ordered as he held the letter
Taurus was hands tied and on his knees in the dungeon
and he didn’t say a word

The Letter:
Glimmers on stars and ash on meteors,
White-lit moon and silky, shimmering meteors,
Lying in the darkness, watching, waiting for you,
These are a few of my favorite things

Azure firmament and dusty clouds,
Bells chiming softly, laughter ringing loud,
Your olive eyes make even interstellar space,
Seem unreal, like a dream I can’t replace,
These are a few of my favorite things

Constellations left uncertain, holding truths,
Sun-kisses resting soft on your youth,
Silver lunar dust that melts onto your skin,
Glowing softly like the light within,
These are a few of my favorite things

When my father disciplines us, when my mother feels pain,
Ashamed to meet my eyes again and again,
When it all feels so hard, impossible and sad,
I remember my favorite things; and I’m not so bad