The Emergent Sea

Betwixt Portals Fading
Under eaves wood I stood,
Sun at my back waiting,
Debating whether I would,
Or linger hesitating,

Till clear-light is fading,
Whips on the mare crack,
The Night driving the gloaming,
I a stone in Penumbra's rack,

Head under veiling hood,
Unglimpsed by cattle grazing,
My mask slipped here as I stood,
Betwixt portals slowly fading,

Fate's envying of hell,
In my maze of indecision,
The paper kingdom folding fell,
A weakling in derision,

Now dogs of dark let slip,
To harry me where I go,
Though petrified in the grip,
Mind’s monsters in tow,

Cleaving to desperate light,
Corpse, Twi, or feint,
Hallowed host save from blight,
This sallow, sickened Saint,

Cries go unanswered,
Time in sundering awe,
My resoluteness floundered,
The pale glimpse I saw,

An Ent of night pressing,
Tongued-fingered maw,
Its shaped hand caressing,
Horror mopped my fore,

Quickened my blood ran,
From ghastly will I hid,
Yet lost inside as Pan,
No darkly deed it did,

My luck come about,
Its splayed finger-fan,
Venus-like in my rout,
To better see my span.