James May

Fantasy in a Forest
..."And it is well known that the Unicorn by touching
the water with his Horn, doth render it free from Poison;
and the Creatures of the wild putteth their trust in him,
and do Drink thereof."
Beastiary of Amelius of Gault.

Between two unknown trees I stood
Within an Abyssinian wood.
Unseen beside a cold pool's brink,
I saw the beasts come down to drink,-
The elephant, the shy gazelle,
The leopard in his painted fell,
The camel coloured like the sand,
The serpent like a burning brand,
The horse, the giraffe, the red baboon
Down from the Mountains of the Moon,
The zebra striped with light and shade
Beside the lion, unafraid.

Around the pool they took their stand;
I could have touched them with my hand!
No creature moved, no creature leapt,
But all a curious silence kept,
And nothing in the forest stirred;
They waited as if for a word.

Then stepping lonely from the wild
He came, the white, the undefiled,

With ivory hoof and pearly horn,-
The one, immaculate Unicorn!
Moving serenely to the pond,
Bending no blade nor ferny frond
Beneath the quiet of his tread;
He dipped his proud and lovely head,
And that dark fountain's veil was torn
By the sharp splendour of his horn.

Around the circle went a sigh
As if a breeze were passing by;
And then beside the curving brink
I saw the creatures crouch to drink
Those waters cleansed and strangely blest
By that unhuman exorcist.

They drank together, shy gazelle,
The leopard in his painted fell....

I saw these things the day I stood
Lost in that Abyssinian wood.

Leah Bodine Drake