The Last Unicorn (Challenge Poem)

Standing in the Clearing of Hope ‘neath the mountain range of Scorn, in the land of No Return I espied a Unicorn. His crested neck was arched, his mane was silver grey and his beautiful dappled flank shone bright in the light of  day. As he bent his neck to graze upon the grass of April Dew, the sunlight caught his horn and revealed it to be blue. Overhead a Pegasus whickered long and low, a greeting to the Unicorn grazing down below. And suddenly I wondered where was the Unicorn’s herd? I searched in the Forest of Fury yet not one creature stirred. Then realisation dawned as I drank from the Fountain of Fun, the Unicorn stood alone because he was the very last one. The people had stopped believing, Lost in the Desert of Doubt, and as they began to deny so the Unicorns all died out. Now just this single creature remained from what had been, standing before me was something that most have never seen. I looked around the clearing now seeing with opened eyes, and from a fire in the distance I saw a Phoenix rise. A Harpy and a Minotaur sat conversing on a wall, behind them was a Centaur standing over eight feet tall. These beautiful mythical creatures I knew would never last, because the days when man believed now lay firmly in the past. Today’s belief; technology not horses with horns on their head, just computers, faxes, and mobiles until all the myths are dead. I said a teary farewell that day from my seat ‘neath Luckless Hill to the last surviving Unicorn that man had yet to kill. Written February 17th, 2002 © on Feb 17 2002 03:14 AM PST   0 • 13