ASTER

CHAPTER 3

Song Of The Spider
Rouge Noir

High in the trees
Where the winds blow to tease
The branches and leaves in the dark,
Still hunched in her meanness
And black and gold greenness
Was the spider of evil art.

Her web in the trees
To lure and then tease
Innocent victims to doom,
Here repaired with great care
In hopes there to snare
More stock for her private tomb.

Even in light
The strands seemed as night
In magic dark twists of green
And here and there
A bad omen to share
Of this self-styled garden queen.

An evil tune
As sung from a loon
Came from the webs of the tree
And for those who could hear
A song without cheer
On a lonely and full black sea.

"Oh! There you are.
 Come closer to Noir.
 Tell me what news you bring.
 How's my reputation?
 Was I a sensation?
 Should their talk make my ears ring?"
 
"They're talking about you,"
 Said the snake who seemed blue.
 "They're not as scared as they used to be.
 Since the fairy came here
 There's more than cheer.
 They're sticking together you see."

 "No! I don't see!
 I think you'll agree.
 They'll always be scared of Rouge Noir.
 We'll just bide our time
 And watch for a sign.
 Then we'll even the score,"

 "Well okay!" said Harry.
 "She's just a fairy.
 Can't even do things that are bad.
 Maybe just let her be.
 I think she liked me.
 She brightens my day when I'm sad."

 "I'll brighten your day!
 On the road you will lay
 With tire tracks across your back!
 Miss Blondie two shoes,
 I promise will lose,
 And that, my dumb friend, is a fact."

Now go do your duty
Of spying on cutie
And tell me all that transpires.
As for the others,
I'll sauté them in butter,
And roast them on slow-burning fires."