The Other Side of Sanguine

The Other Side of Sanguine
By: Star of Atlantis

I stand on the threshold of the sanguine door
Massive oak and strongly held by
Its iron wrot hinges and big bolt lock.
This is a test I must pass
Or on death's wings I will fly
I breath in and out slowly
Remembering the steps
And speaking my spells
"With out fear...
With out fear...
No fear in me!"

The monks all have stories
Of their trips inside
Each one is different
and in one way the same
Purification comes at a high price
Purification through pain...
Purification through death...
Purification...

I am the first woman to stand here
I am here out of need
Not my own, but the one I must save
Nine days I have begged for my chance to be brave
Ten times they still tell me no
But I go anyway with out their blessings
And only my own spells and prayers
To keep what is beyond the doors at bay.
'Women are forbidden'
I can still hear them say...

On the large black iron ring
That serves as both knock and handle
I place my tiny white hand
This is it
I must make a stand
I call all the powers that be
Pulling them close to protect me
I wait till in a ball of white light I am
Before lifting my hand and opening the door...

My glowing white cage that is my shield
Crackles and pops as through the portal I pass
Nothing beyond my own shield do I see
As all is black all around me
I take my first steps and feel I'm not alone
The things that make this place a home
Are cerious about me
A Woman!
The first that they've ever seen...

I can feel these unseen things reaching for me
Testing their fingers against my protection
No fear... i whisper silently again
knowing that is the only way they can get in
no fear means, no holes, and no death
They will start bigger tests when they see
that touching me isn't working...

No fear... no fear... no fear...
My mind chants like a mantra
As I step forward and let this journey
Beyond the sanguine portal begin...
With my first step comes a ripping
and taring,
and grating,
and from it comes a cacophony
like nothing ever heard before

Deafining screams of tormented terror...
Angry they tug at my reserve
Their anguish and jealousy trying to unravel my soul
But I am strong too and my bubble flairs brighter
Burning the eyes of those banshees that scream
Parting them as easy as if I were a stream
Finding my way amongst the rocks
Moving slowly but ever on....

so far so good
I have crossed the threshold
of the old giant door
remained on course after the screaming
I know what is next...
the visions will come
the ones designed to drive you mad
and do not dare to close your eyes
or get in your head they will try...

Brighter brighter bright as the sun
My new mental litany
Growing the electric energy that
Surounds me and making me feel safe
When they come they hit hard
The visions lighting up all the space around me
Pictures of agony
The worst to explain...

Mothers being ripped in half by gothic machines to die giving birth
Horrific experiments on children kept in cages like rats
Disembowelmentes on music boxes that ping out songs from hell
The faces of a million suicides, lonely, and lost, and hollow
Demons fucking the innocent youth teaching the ways of rape and abuse
Human skins being flayed just like fish only still alive
The winged ones who use those bloody skins to bind their books
Bondage and torture worse than the inquisitions
And big ugly beasties hacking up bodies to put in their stew...

All this I ignore
And push it out of my mind
As I keep ever onward to the goal
I am here for one reason and one alone
The chalice of life
For the one it saves
For him and no other I can not be swayed...

Two more steps maybe three
Then they will see they are beaten
And they could not get in
I will have the cup again
And just as I think this up in my head
All around me goes quiet as the grave
All images stop and all goes quite black...
but this time my white light penetrates...

There on a pedestal all alone is the goblet
Moon-silver and light I cup it between my hands
I lift it reverently
And carry it back to the red door
No longer troubled
By what went before
A few short steps
Yet on the way in seamed like miles
Then free in the night air
And my freedom at last

Not forgetting less I let them out
I pull on the handle of the door
Sealing the passage
And shutting them in
Then to the grass
And cradling the cup i sink
Thankful and spent
Now only one thing remains
But that is the challenge for another day
The well at the end of the world....

I have my prise for today
But I must hurry
As there isn't much time
My love needs this vessel filled
With the waters of life
Only one place for that
The well at the end of the world...
not to mention the monks
will be angry if they find out
a woman made it
where none of them could...