Danse Nocturne
by Joey Jones (2011)
Genres: Mythological

Interactive blank verse, based on one of the legends of Charlemagne.

action: %
response: It is always twilight in Ingelheim,
in the forest the lady slides across
the crumpled leaves entranced by Elbegast.
Her nightclothes sweep the same old lemniscate,
with Elbegast's wood gauntlets at her waist.
Tired eyes gaze listlessly, with lips shut tight.
The lady longs to end the dance but she
cannot. The only thing she does is dance
and dance and dance. But oh how she can dance!
Gracefully and sweetly; solemnly or
perkily; eagerly, or most often,
reluctantly. However she dances,
she always dances inevitably.
action: Jauntily
response: One two three steps, beneath the willow tree.
Right foot forward, eyes staring straight through him.

The lady dances many other ways.
action: Gracefully
response: A swan is just a swan, an angry bird.
The moon is just the moon, a glowing rock.
But the lady is a graceful swan and
when dancing she becomes his moon and stars.
action: Coyly
response: The lady dances many other ways.
action: Reluctantly
response: The black knight clasps the lady tighter still.
"Sweet," he whispers, "did I not win you fair?"
action: Fairly
response: "Well, you are just my wife," says Elbegast.
"You're just my partner, sharing life and death."
action: Angrily
response: With vicious strides the lady looks around,
and hopes to find, observe, the means to kill.
action: Badly
response: "Is this how you once danced with Eggerich?"
says Elbegast a tad resentfully.
action: Resentfully
response: across the leaves that lie beneath their treading feet.
action: Energetically
response: Four five six steps along the trickling stream.
Her spine aligned: left turn, right turn, now twist.
action: Gracefully
response: Although he is afixed by beauty clearly,
he could not love a mortal woman, could he?
action: Lovingly
response: Was Eggerich a violent plotting man?
Should now the lady thank Elbegast?
action: Gratefully
response: The lady holds her brand new husband dear,
although his hands once slew a man she'd loved.
action: Pointedly
response: that shines out even Elbegast himself.
action: Well
response: The lady always dances well, except
when she's attempting sprightly twisting turns.
action: Sprightly
response: Quite gaily she forgets her Eggermond!
This brand new man in hand: she eggs him on.
action: Slowly
response: a man she's meant to love, does reason fill
her sleepy head or has she met defeat?
action: Sleepily
response: Is she sleepwalking in her waking life?
Or twilight dreaming in her sleeping time?
action: Defeatedly
response: The lady lets herself be led across,

"Finally love, are you acquiescent?"
action: Acquiescently
response: Her shoulders slump. Does she accept defeat?
action: Observantly
response: the mismatched partners shuffle slowly past.
A vicious branch oft points towards the back
of Elbegast who tugs his newly wed.
A newly wed who's stronger than she looks...
action: Strongly
response: The time has come the noble lady thinks,
to end for good this horrifying dance.
They dance a final lemniscate across
the twilight forest floor of Ingelheim.
She dances "til his back is to the spike
with strength so hideous she shoves him hard!
He cries a tear, the spike ripping a tear
through now bloodstained gut besmirched evening wear.
Her second husband dead before her hands,
the sun now rises first on Ingelheim.
action: %
response: It is always twilight in Ingelheim,
in the forest the lady slides across
the crumpled leaves entranced by Elbegast.
Her nightclothes sweep the same old lemniscate,
with Elbegast's wood gauntlets at her waist.
Tired eyes gaze listlessly, with lips shut tight.
The lady longs to end the dance but she
cannot. The only thing she does is dance
and dance and dance. But oh how she can dance!
Gracefully and sweetly; solemnly or
perkily; eagerly, or most often,
reluctantly. However she dances,
she always dances inevitably.
action: Inevitably
response: The lady lets herself be led across,

"Finally love, are you acquiescent?"
action: Defeatedly
response: that Elbegast knows her to be his wife.
"A fitting prize you were from Charlemagne,"
he says and smiles as she forgets the name
and face of Eggerich von Eggermond.