*Told to me by my father but also based on The Vampire (Gypsy Folk Tales)
(Roumanian-Gypsy Stories)
Scroll down to hear a YouTube video “Nosferatu” by Blue Oyster Cult
(much more exciting than the poem 🙂 )
Young girls and children stomping vats of vine
Purple stockings licked, enhancing the wine.
Celebrate tonight, dance beneath a star
Work done for the year, head for home afar.
All the girls paired off but Nita has none
Her beauty renowned yet young men do shun.
Phuri Dai watches, her wisdom from age
Til a man appears, Nita now assuaged.
Young arms hold her close, a nip and a bite
Alto scream reveals blood on that first night…
He leaves at cock crow, old sage sees his feet
“Horse’s hooves, Nita, be careful my sweet.”
Nita denies this “No, I did not see”
He is her new love, this happens times three.
Needle and red thread she sticks in his back
Following him home down a dusty track.
He sits in a grave; trembling, she runs home
Night comes, he searches finding her alone.
“Tell me what you saw.” “No, I did not see.”
“Your father I’ll kill” “Saw nothing, kill me.”
He kills her father, returns to the grave
Finds Nita next night who tries to be brave.
“Tell me what you saw.” “No, I did not see.”
“Your mother I’ll kill” “Saw nothing, kill me.”
He kills her mother, returns to the grave
Nita asks for help from her Gypsy slave.
“Here is my money, I shall die tonight
Put a hole in the wall when it is light.
Please don’t carry me over the threshold
Dig in the forest under fresh leaf mold.”
The handsome young man returns in the night
“Tell me what you saw, Death comes at first light.”
“No, I did not see.” He gazes with lust…
The slave finds Nita, neck bloody like rust.
A hole in the wall, a body pushed through
Thresholds forbidden for undead so new.
Apple tree shadows Prince, hunting a boar
Beautiful flower, never seen before.
Prince plucks the flower, takes it to his home
Secure in a vase in his private dome.
The Prince fell asleep not knowing his dream
Would soon become real, invade his bloodstream.
The flower arose from the vase of bane
Turned a somersault, Nita, once again.
She kissed the good Prince, gave love and a bite
At dawn she became the flower so bright.
The Prince knew it not, he awoke so ill
Wise woman sent for, gave parents a pill.
The Prince sleeps that night, dreams of flying free
The same night and day this happens times three.
The father’s plan is to watch the flower
While hidden that night in Prince’s bower.
Parents saw Nita and caught her in snare
The Prince then awoke and saw she was fair.
He freed her in love, Nita the fair maid
Did not change back; alive, she then stayed.
Making a marriage, they drank and they ate
Nita now royal, happy with her fate.
Bore a golden boy, apples in his hand
Birthmark of a prince soon to rule the land.
Chohano, vampire, must see her at night
Jealous of Nita, he craves being right.
“Tell me what you saw.” “No, I did not see.”
“Your son I will kill” “Saw nothing, kill me.”
He kills her young son, returns to his grave
Finds Nita next night who tries to be brave.
“Tell me or I kill the lord you have wed”
“No! God send you burst!” Vampire falls dead.
In blood two feet deep Nita begs her man
To take out the heart, the churchyard’s the plan.
She claws at the dirt and digs up their son
Replacing the heart at last she has won.
She finds her parents, blood used as a bath
All are now alive, nightmare aftermath.
“T’a doi jivena kano mishto.”
(And they live there happily to this day)
YouTube “Nosferatu” by Blue Oyster Cult https://youtu.be/lUE-dK48Soc
© 2016 Poem copyright Clarissa Simmens (ViataMaja)
IMAGE: Public Domain Goth Art Pinterest