Mistress

She stood knee-high in wind blown reed
Her hand held to her brow
She watched him near with graceful speed
then stop with reverent bow
Sacred was this covert dale
no grasses sheered nor footpath worn
Clandestine in its weeded veil
to shroud the maid and unicorn
Her arms embraced his mighty head
His velvet nostrils teardrop bathed
Of tenderness her fingers bled
across his flanks and coat unscathed
Nomad from a hidden land
where human eye will never peer
Yet here he kneels to mortal hand
without a thought of fear
This kindred maiden born to love
a beast of noble trait
Whose every heartbeat extols of
her malefic fate
Desire to cross the mystic port
to be forever at his side
A dream she never ceased to court
In wake or sleep did bide
He watched her tears fall to the ground
nuzzling softly 'gainst her breast
He felt within her heartbeat pound
her faithfulness to him attest
He recalled his urgent plea
once to immortal gods implored
that to their world she be received
and to his likeness formed
Through sorrow wrought from fixed denial
granted  them was rendezvous
Forlorn love ne'er to reconcile
nor one that fate subdue
She stood knee-high in wind blown reed
Her hand held to her brow
She watched him leave with graceful speed
and fade with reverent bow