Mara’s Curse

So, for this week’s post, I thought I’d share a poem that I’ve written for a fairy tale retelling that I’ve been working on based on The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Although I am aware that there are some good retellings of this fairy tale (like Jessica Day George’s Princess of the Midnight Ball. Great book by the way, although I think the second one has a better twist).

Anywho, I’ve been working on the lore for this story, and I thought, “Hey, why not post the fairy’s curse? It’s not bad, and I can make it into a series by using different curse-like poems I’ve written.” And so on and so forth.

For this particular curse, I worked on a specific rhythm of three lines with four syllables and the final line having only three syllables. I initially wrote a different version, but it didn’t flow as well, so I wrote this one day after church. Weird origin story, yes, but I mean, when inspiration strikes, you gotta write, otherwise it’s gone forever. Literally. I actually had an idea for a poem based on the Jesus prayer that you would pray with a prayer rope, but I lost it.

Anyway, happy reading!

***

Thus, spake Mara, foulest of the fae:

Queen of beauty,
O graceful one,
Now your sorrow
Has begun.

Upon you, I
Pronounce this woe,
A curse from your
Fatal Foe.

All your children,
Though seeming gay,
Will be under
A fell sway.

Fey, they will be
Within their hearts.
Death will hold them
With his arts.

They will travel
Far from your place
To the Hidden,
Secret Race.

To my home in
The dark of night
In the deep hours
Of twilight.

There they shall find
Their joy, their lust.
There they shall dance,
Dance for us.

To those accursed
They will belong.
They shall become
Of our song.

Their hearts will be
Colder than ice
To bring the warmth
Pay the price.

Darkness fills their souls.
I speak this twice
To bring the light
Pay the price.

Death for life.
Life for death.
The Price is
One last breath.

A costly price
For one to pay
Will someone come?
I say nay.

Hopelessness shall
Belong to thee.
They will not want
To be free.

*Just for clarification, gay is intended in its archaic sense, so, in this context, it means “happy or lighthearted.” It’s meant to contrast with the evil sway they are under. I read a lot of old books, so I tend to use older definitions sometimes, especially if the word rhymes.