---

Clad in pale green and rose,

her thin face flickers, glows,

tempestuous flame.

Horrid and harsh she goes,

speaks, trembles, wakes and knows

how pale is the shame!

Grows vast and cloudy and is

the whole mouth's sobbing kiss,

and crushes me with bliss

beyond a name.

Then fall I from exess

of bitter ecstasies,

pale ghosts of blood,

to worlds where palaces

shine through dim memories

of flower and flood,

shine in pale opal and pearl,

void of bright boy or girl,

desolate halls that furl

their shapes subdued.

The  dreadful bridal won,

the demon banquet done,

my flesh let loose:

rises a strange red sun,

a sight to slay or stun:

sepulchral dews

fall from the rayless finger probe

my golden folded robe,

my souls misuse.

And in that thankless shape

vines grow without a grape,

thorns roseless spring.

Nay! There is no escape:

the yawing portals gape,

the orbed ring

as by a whirlpool drawn

into that devil dawn:

I shrink and shriek and fawn

upon the thing.

Ha! In the desperate pang

and subtle stroke and fang

of hateful kisses

whence devilish laughter sprang,

close to me with a clang

the brazen abysses.

The leopard coloured jaw

hides me in the glutless maw

crown of ten blisses!

For all the vision world

is closed on me and curled

into the deep

of my slow soul, and hurled

through lampless lands, and furled,

sharp folds and steep:

till all unite in one,

seven planets in the sun,

and I am deeplier done

into full sleep.

(From "White Puppy" by A. Crowley)