deepundergroundpoetry.com
La Voladora
When I was a little girl, growing up in Chile
My father told me a story of a terrible monster.
At night it flies about on widest black wings
While once it was a girl, only one older than I.
La Voladora is her name, and one she shares
With others of her kind who serve dark power.
Where she flies many see her shadow on the wall
A tragic child is she, long parted from her kin.
Oh Voladora, what makes you so sad?
Did you not have a proper mom and dad
Or were you stolen away from your crib,
And in some sorcerer's cavern artfully hid!
Sometimes the wind cries for her very sadly
When the season of death, horrible things stirs.
She is a messenger, black tidings she brings
Across the treetops upon the second hour's sigh,
Past midnight is the time when magic art dares
To alter the form of a once most delicate flower.
I walked in her shade many times, heard her call
A frightened child was I, chilled deep within.
Oh Voladora, what makes you screech?
I heard your story, now it is mine to teach
So that your legend can continue on ever,
While children hide from you as if in fever!
When daylight comes the creature will return
To where its' entrails wait hidden on their plate.
Then the bird woman devours what was hers
To regain the form of a young girl and be free,
Able to walk on proper legs and also not burn
From the magic fire that brings her out so late.
Only to call her again when comes her curse
While her masters chant and cackle with glee.
Oh Voladora, what makes you to fly?
Better not to know so you will not die
From darker sorcery that has no name,
A power unchecked that cannot be tamed!
My father told me this when I was so young
A dark part of me loved hearing this tale sung.
My father told me a story of a terrible monster.
At night it flies about on widest black wings
While once it was a girl, only one older than I.
La Voladora is her name, and one she shares
With others of her kind who serve dark power.
Where she flies many see her shadow on the wall
A tragic child is she, long parted from her kin.
Oh Voladora, what makes you so sad?
Did you not have a proper mom and dad
Or were you stolen away from your crib,
And in some sorcerer's cavern artfully hid!
Sometimes the wind cries for her very sadly
When the season of death, horrible things stirs.
She is a messenger, black tidings she brings
Across the treetops upon the second hour's sigh,
Past midnight is the time when magic art dares
To alter the form of a once most delicate flower.
I walked in her shade many times, heard her call
A frightened child was I, chilled deep within.
Oh Voladora, what makes you screech?
I heard your story, now it is mine to teach
So that your legend can continue on ever,
While children hide from you as if in fever!
When daylight comes the creature will return
To where its' entrails wait hidden on their plate.
Then the bird woman devours what was hers
To regain the form of a young girl and be free,
Able to walk on proper legs and also not burn
From the magic fire that brings her out so late.
Only to call her again when comes her curse
While her masters chant and cackle with glee.
Oh Voladora, what makes you to fly?
Better not to know so you will not die
From darker sorcery that has no name,
A power unchecked that cannot be tamed!
My father told me this when I was so young
A dark part of me loved hearing this tale sung.
Published 14th Jun 2022
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comments 8
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The author encourages honest critique.
15th Jun 2022 1:18am
Ah, the legend of La Voladora! I had always found that particular dark legend highly fascinating, especially knowing rather quite a bit about the truths that lie behind the myth, thanks to certain things you showed me back in Chile. Your take on the legend is very good, with a nice horror vibe that is true to the tone of the old stories of that creature. I remember you telling me about how your father used to tell you all the old legends when it was time for you to go to bed as a child. I always had a bit of a fondness for dark tales as well! When I was in fourth grade, I remember reading a book in school that contained various supernatural stories and they all intrigued me quite a bit. Even a lot of the old fairy tales got their start in far darker and grimmer ways than most people realize! Sometimes a slumbering princess in those stories was not always slumbering but quite dead, until some magic brought her back. A prince's kiss always seemed to contain something of a necromantic power in those stories, and even the happiest of happy endings could be tinged with quite a few gruesome overtones. But it is a compliment of the highest order when I say this is the vibe your poem about La Voladora contains! You do not water anything down here but keep the very essence of the lore behind the creature firmly intact. Great work, sweetheart! Your poems, like you, never fail to enchant me. ;)
15th Jun 2022 1:38am
Makes me happy I enchant you! I always try to. Oh yes, I know all of the old stories, and many of the, as you noted, truths behind those too. But in this poem, I went back to the myth and the creepy vibe it always had. Wow, yes, I know the old fairy tales you are meaning! The ones before they all got sanitized and made good for Disney to show to kids. I remember in the original The Little Mermaid story, she actually died at the end... and pretty horribly too. Definitely no happy ending for her! Lol. If kids saw movies based on the originals, it would probably traumatize them. Just like Watership Down!
15th Jun 2022 5:52am
I'm new to that name La Voladora. It's the first time I'd heard this story. I gotta read this more than today.
25th Jun 2022 1:48am
Not many who live outside Chile know the legend of La Voladora. It an old, old myth and very dark. A story of black magic, transformation and maybe it a holdover from the days when the old Inca were still around. Very primal story, with an interesting secret truth in the heart of it.
25th Jun 2022 8:08am
29th May 2023 3:14am
I remember when you were telling me this legend on the phone recently, and how you wanted to turn that girl who was pretending to be you into one of those Voladora creatures! Great horror-tinged poetry, Camilla, and very cool theme for a poem too. I like it very much.
21st Feb 2024 1:13am
I am very sorry, Chloe, that I could not respond to your reply sooner! But I have been studying my English language lessons more, which is paying off as you can see, and my father he died very sudden so I had to deal with that also. But thank you very much for praise of my poem! That is very good of you. I know many stories, many dark old stories. Some I tell in my poetry, some I will never speak of. Hope all is well with you and Kara! Blessings for you both.
27th Feb 2024 1:09am
Hey, no problem Camilla! When life is crazy, it's crazy... no fault in that. I totally understand, so we're cool. I actually love dark and old stories, so any you wanna post I'll be sure to read them.
