Poem: "Hallowing"
This poem was prompted by kestrels_nest. It also fills the #13 Consummate slot in the Rainbowfic Sunlight list. This poem belongs to the series Path of the Paladins.
This microfunded poem is being posted one verse at a time, as donations come in to cover them. The rate is $.50/line, so $5 will reveal 10 new lines, and so forth. There is a permanent donation button on my profile page, or you can contact me for other arrangements. You can also ask me about the number of lines per verse, if you want to fund a certain number of verses.
So far sponsors include: kestrels_nest, janetmiles, general fund, mdlbear
FULLY FUNDED
136 lines, Buy It Now = $68
Amount donated = $20.50
Verses posted = 18 of 27
Amount remaining to fund fully = $22.50
Amount needed to fund next verse = $1.50
Amount needed to fund the verse after that = $3.50
Warning: This poem deals with recovery from rape/PTSD, including some parts that suck extra much on account of the survivor being a goddess. It is positive unto itself, but the background may be more than some readers wish to deal with. There is no Magical Healing C*** of any kind in this poem, just a good support network, a well-designed ritual, and some nonsexual loving touch.
Hallowing
Gailah had lived with defilement
for so long that it had become a part of her.
She was no mortal to throw it off
in a matter of months or even years,
for the memory of a goddess
was a thing of sand and amber.
It had taken her decades
to reach a point where she believed
that she might somehow get clean again.
It was Syvera the lady of beasts
who first noticed the change.
She went to Diawn, god of plants,
to ask what healing might be had from them,
for the mind of a goddess would not
so easily mend itself.
Together they did the research
and devised a spell that would help.
Then they approached Gailah,
who was dear to both of them,
and let her know of the hallowing spell
they had created between them.
Gailah agreed to go with them
to a hidden holy place within the woods
in search of what healing might be found.
Gailah disrobed slowly,
slipping the white gown
from her shaky shoulders,
for this was the first time in years
that she had shown her nude form
to anyone willingly.
She stepped into the silvery pool
and let the water hide her body.
Then Syvera and Diawn
joined Gailah in the pool.
They came to her quietly, softly,
to consummate the healing
with gentle touches.
"This is your body,"
said Syvera.
"Your body belongs to you."
She dampened Gailah's fair skin
with soft cloths and clear water.
"This is your mind,"
said Diawn.
"Your mind belongs to you."
He soaped Gailah with fluffy suds
that smelled of healing herbs.
"You are the lady of peace,"
Syvera reminded Gailah
as the two of them scrubbed her clean.
"No one can take that from you,"
Diawn said firmly.
"Gorrein did,"
said Gailah.
"He had no right
to any of what he took,"
said Syvera.
"He has no idea
what to do with it either,"
said Diawn.
The surface of the pool
shimmered with soap and magic,
images of the followers
of Gailah and Gorrein
appearing only to pop with the bubbles.
It could not be argued
even by his own devotees
that Gorrein had any ability
to manage the sphere of peace.
Gailah's followers went right on doing the work
even though, technically, it was
no longer theirs to do.
Gailah chuckled a little
at some of the mishaps
as the unfamiliar sphere
rolled around unattended and thus
cost Gorrein one follower after another,
bumped off his track of terror and war
by hidden inclinations toward decency.
"I don't think he's noticed yet, do you?"
Syvera said with a smirk.
"Definitely not," Diawn agreed.
"I wonder how long it will take him to realize
how many devotees he's losing, and why."
A faint rustle of undergrowth
heralded the arrival of the unicorns.
Syvera called them to her
with a whistle sweet as a spring breeze.
They came, moon-silver and sun-gilt,
their horns gleaming in the forest shadows.
The unicorns knelt at the edge of the pool
to bless the bright water with their horns,
numinous light spilling out to chase away
the last of the soap and the shame.
Gailah discovered that
defilement was mortal,
something that could die,
something that could be killed,
left to soak into the forest soil
and rot away into the leafmould
to nourish new life some day.
Syvera smiled at her unicorns,
petting their radiant coats
as they came to nuzzle her palms
with their velvety noses.
Diawn smiled at the flowers
that sprang up around their cloven hooves,
growing with the speed of magic
here in the presence of the unicorns
and several divine beings.
Syvera and Diawn helped Gailah
step out of the pool.
They dried her with warm thick towels
and tucked up the damp tumble of her hair.
They dressed her in a fresh gown
the pale green of new spring leaves.
They touched her tenderly, reverently,
letting their hands whisper to her skin
how much they cared for her.
They kissed her, too,
soft brush of lips on lips.
Gailah kissed them back, a little,
only a little because she was not yet
ready for anything more than this.
She let them touch her
and leaned into their warm hands,
her skin beginning to remember
what it was to be touched with love.
The hallowing had done its work;
the ritual had given them a chance
to consummate the healing
with this gentle acceptance.
It was not an end to all trouble,
but it was the beginning of the end,
a vital step out of the darkness into light,
and for that they all felt grateful.
This microfunded poem is being posted one verse at a time, as donations come in to cover them. The rate is $.50/line, so $5 will reveal 10 new lines, and so forth. There is a permanent donation button on my profile page, or you can contact me for other arrangements. You can also ask me about the number of lines per verse, if you want to fund a certain number of verses.
So far sponsors include: kestrels_nest, janetmiles, general fund, mdlbear
FULLY FUNDED
136 lines, Buy It Now = $68
Amount donated = $20.50
Verses posted = 18 of 27
Amount remaining to fund fully = $22.50
Amount needed to fund next verse = $1.50
Amount needed to fund the verse after that = $3.50
Warning: This poem deals with recovery from rape/PTSD, including some parts that suck extra much on account of the survivor being a goddess. It is positive unto itself, but the background may be more than some readers wish to deal with. There is no Magical Healing C*** of any kind in this poem, just a good support network, a well-designed ritual, and some nonsexual loving touch.
Hallowing
Gailah had lived with defilement
for so long that it had become a part of her.
She was no mortal to throw it off
in a matter of months or even years,
for the memory of a goddess
was a thing of sand and amber.
It had taken her decades
to reach a point where she believed
that she might somehow get clean again.
It was Syvera the lady of beasts
who first noticed the change.
She went to Diawn, god of plants,
to ask what healing might be had from them,
for the mind of a goddess would not
so easily mend itself.
Together they did the research
and devised a spell that would help.
Then they approached Gailah,
who was dear to both of them,
and let her know of the hallowing spell
they had created between them.
Gailah agreed to go with them
to a hidden holy place within the woods
in search of what healing might be found.
Gailah disrobed slowly,
slipping the white gown
from her shaky shoulders,
for this was the first time in years
that she had shown her nude form
to anyone willingly.
She stepped into the silvery pool
and let the water hide her body.
Then Syvera and Diawn
joined Gailah in the pool.
They came to her quietly, softly,
to consummate the healing
with gentle touches.
"This is your body,"
said Syvera.
"Your body belongs to you."
She dampened Gailah's fair skin
with soft cloths and clear water.
"This is your mind,"
said Diawn.
"Your mind belongs to you."
He soaped Gailah with fluffy suds
that smelled of healing herbs.
"You are the lady of peace,"
Syvera reminded Gailah
as the two of them scrubbed her clean.
"No one can take that from you,"
Diawn said firmly.
"Gorrein did,"
said Gailah.
"He had no right
to any of what he took,"
said Syvera.
"He has no idea
what to do with it either,"
said Diawn.
The surface of the pool
shimmered with soap and magic,
images of the followers
of Gailah and Gorrein
appearing only to pop with the bubbles.
It could not be argued
even by his own devotees
that Gorrein had any ability
to manage the sphere of peace.
Gailah's followers went right on doing the work
even though, technically, it was
no longer theirs to do.
Gailah chuckled a little
at some of the mishaps
as the unfamiliar sphere
rolled around unattended and thus
cost Gorrein one follower after another,
bumped off his track of terror and war
by hidden inclinations toward decency.
"I don't think he's noticed yet, do you?"
Syvera said with a smirk.
"Definitely not," Diawn agreed.
"I wonder how long it will take him to realize
how many devotees he's losing, and why."
A faint rustle of undergrowth
heralded the arrival of the unicorns.
Syvera called them to her
with a whistle sweet as a spring breeze.
They came, moon-silver and sun-gilt,
their horns gleaming in the forest shadows.
The unicorns knelt at the edge of the pool
to bless the bright water with their horns,
numinous light spilling out to chase away
the last of the soap and the shame.
Gailah discovered that
defilement was mortal,
something that could die,
something that could be killed,
left to soak into the forest soil
and rot away into the leafmould
to nourish new life some day.
Syvera smiled at her unicorns,
petting their radiant coats
as they came to nuzzle her palms
with their velvety noses.
Diawn smiled at the flowers
that sprang up around their cloven hooves,
growing with the speed of magic
here in the presence of the unicorns
and several divine beings.
Syvera and Diawn helped Gailah
step out of the pool.
They dried her with warm thick towels
and tucked up the damp tumble of her hair.
They dressed her in a fresh gown
the pale green of new spring leaves.
They touched her tenderly, reverently,
letting their hands whisper to her skin
how much they cared for her.
They kissed her, too,
soft brush of lips on lips.
Gailah kissed them back, a little,
only a little because she was not yet
ready for anything more than this.
She let them touch her
and leaned into their warm hands,
her skin beginning to remember
what it was to be touched with love.
The hallowing had done its work;
the ritual had given them a chance
to consummate the healing
with this gentle acceptance.
It was not an end to all trouble,
but it was the beginning of the end,
a vital step out of the darkness into light,
and for that they all felt grateful.