Blood Pond

In the vast expanse of ebony night,
I dwell, a specter beyond mortal sight.
In dimensionless realms, devoid of sound,
Where galaxies dance, and stars are unbound.

A yearning to forge ahead, a thirst to roam,
Yet trapped in nothingness, I find no home.
No ground to tread, no sky above,
I traverse the void, in relentless love.

Neither gravity's pull, nor absence, I feel,
Propelled by forces, a cosmic ordeal.
A premonition stirs, a sense of dread,
For I'm not alone in this void widespread.

As if whispered by gods, the truth appears,
A destination clear, but shadowed by fears.
The Pond awaits, a dreaded abode,
A journey bound to this unholy road.

From the deepest dark, a distant gleam,
A dim, red light, a cosmic dream.
Approaching The Pond, or it draws near,
A haunting sight, its presence austere.

Not water, but blood, a thick, churning tide,
In The Pond's depths, my destiny lies.
Eternal existence, I'm destined to stay,
In this cursed realm, my soul's dismay.

From the pool's core, a figure ascends,
Covered in blood, a beauty it blends.
A young woman's form, obscured by gore,
Her silent summons, I can't ignore.

I'm drawn to her, entwined in her arms,
An embrace that heralds death's alarms.
Together we descend, into the abyss,
The blood's dark tide, sealing my bliss.

A gasp for breath, as life ebbs away,
In the clutches of death, my spirit does fray.
The flame of my soul flickers and wanes,
As The Pond's embrace binds my remains.

A crescendo of fear, a symphony of dread,
As I embrace death, with spirit unwed.
Yet in the depths of this ominous bloom,
A heroic saga, emerges from gloom.

Beyond The Pond, a saga untold,
A soul reborn, in valor's stronghold.
Through epic verse, my odyssey thrives,
A tale of shadows, yet brilliance arrives.

Through cosmic realms, my legend shall soar,
An epic ode, forevermore.

Backstory

5/28/98 I’m seeing a therapist about the murder of  my girlfriend. This happened about 22 years ago
and for the last 18 years I have had this nightmare several to many times a week. It changes
slightly over time, but mainly stays the same. The therapist wants me to write about everything to
do with this incident primarily as it affected me. So, I have started writing a book, joined the
Writer’s Guild and expect it to be published in about a year. Hopefully the retelling in prose will
lessen or remove the nightmare from my nightly sleep. We shall see.

7/26/23 Quick update: This poem had been lost since around 2001 but an old friend of mine (one of my
book editors) sent me a copy I had given her after I first wrote it. I had wanted this poem to be
the prologue to my book of the same name, Blood Pond, but several other publisher staff members
convinced me to use prose for the prologue. So Blood Pond, the book, not this poem, was published in
2000. Today is the first public posting of this poem.