Compulsion

No truth could possibly
Be good enough for her
Garden gnomes, toy soldier mimes
Silent as she
Guard a forest pathway's end
Beautiful and darkening as
A pirhana-filled moat empties
Out to sea

The fortress door, ornate,
Intimidates,
Imposing by design
Each mysery depends on a potential
Intended victim's state of mind

Each step upon her cold stone floor resounds
Echoes maddening right through her
Willing potential intended victim
It's the mystery draws him to her

Marble statue stands shiny white
Heart as a fortress floor disguised
Athena in all her hard glory
Staring down the truth with stony eyes

The Enchanted Forest Temptress's
Voice echoes through the trees
Compelling and foreboding
The Muse of Mystery

But there are no caped crusaders here
No Wonderland, no Oz wizards
Just Jimmy Olsen at his desk,
Tin men in distress,
Crocodiles posing as alligator lizards

Best make sure you get in early
She locks it down at nine
Tread lightly, then, and offer
Your kingdom for each clue you find

The gnomes and statues are not talking
Go take it up with the church mouse
The vows of silence they have taken
Echo through that haunted house

The bats peek out from the comfort of their blankets
Each sound reveals another mystery
It's just an unassuming house out in the suburbs
Feels like a haunted castle fortress to me

 © John Kennan 6-23-18