Further Adventures from the Mind of Doc Martin 

  

SLEEP THAT BURNS

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                                      The Eyes of the Raven.

                     Not to be mistaken for a Crow or a Rook, the Raven is somewhat more of a 'majestic' bird, some would say Satanic even Demonic, although similar of course, perhaps even from the same family, or so the books might say but this bird stands out from the rest.  While the Crow and the Rook come from almost a pastoral background, the scourge of many a farmer and of many country folk and the legend they have created over the generations, they have many a tale to tell of the battles that have been going on for what seems like...forever but the Raven is different! 
                  This is a bird, some might even refer to it as a creature, a feathered beast even, that has dark mysticism surrounding it, from it's jet black plumage, it's perfectly upright posture, the flapping of those huge wings to the grey of it's beak but that is not all! The feature that is perfect in all of it's primeval glory, are the eyes, so perfect in detail and yet...there is no detail, just two of the most heart stopping, beady eyes, eyes that are as black as night, as dark and impenetrable as pools of ink and whose only form of movement is the lightning blink of those grey eye-lids. 
                 Some say that Ravens contain the spirits of the dead, whose bodies have gone to... wherever, who knows but leaving their souls remaining to keep a watchful eye on the living.  Do they look after us or do they disturb us, it is a job to tell, unlike most birds, the Raven is rarely scared by an approaching man and it will almost invite you to stare into those black eyes of theirs, looking for what, what is it that is in there, is it the reflection of those who are doing the looking, or the souls of the departed ones, looking back!  Are they smiling, are they crying or are they screaming, do these souls want to be in there, have they been taken or are they willing guests, destined to stay with the Ravens until the Raven  blinks no more! 
                     A bird that appears, when not even invited, although a solitary bird, it is a bird that is not shy of making it's presence known!  The cry, the squawk of the bird, causes the same reaction to man like nails scratching down a blackboard, a noise that causes you to turn away in abject horror but also demands you to look back to where the sound comes from. It's head will move from left to right almost mimicking the way you look at it, oh yes... this is a clever bird, a very clever bird, perhaps it is more human than we think, perhaps it knows what we are thinking, perhaps it is aware of the alarm that it causes, perhaps it is aware of the evil face it projects to us, perhaps it relishes in the fear that it gives to all in it's company! 

                 You just can't help it, those eyes seem to demand that you look into them, you will look away but you will always be drawn back. Unlike when you are staring at another human being, you can always look away when noticed, you can quickly avert your gaze, after all, you do not wish to appear rude but a Raven is a bird not an inanimate object but still, just a bird, just a big, black, bird. Funny thing is, when it appears, it just seems to do that, appear, none or very little noise, perhaps the silence is what makes this such a creature of intrigue, of mystic powers, maybe the sound of it's silence, is the sound of your own fear!  It seems to never look at you in a quizzical way, it seems to be bereft of any fear of you, it seems to show some form of contempt for you, you as a person, you as the scarer becomes the scared. The Raven seems to view you with the utmost contempt, almost with a aura of superiority about it, it looks you up and down, it seems to be judging you, you never saw me arrive and you will not hear me leave!

                

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      If I could talk, if you could hear me, then again, maybe I can and maybe I do but it is not words that you hear, it is fear itself, your fear, louder than any words...and I like that!
     'I know I make you feel uneasy, perhaps even frightened, but still you look at me, you can't help it, you do not want to but still you do!
     I know you do not like me, and I like that, is it true what you have heard, when you look into my eyes, what do you see, for it is you and your own fear, looking back at you... and I like that'!

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       So just what is it that you see, apart from yourself looking back, it is not the souls of the dead, it is not fear, fear is a state of mind, fear is a feeling, fear is within us all, yet still you look for the answer,  there is no answer but still you look and the Raven...I'm sure he likes that!
       There are some things that should remain, that should never change and the eyes of the Raven should be left to our imagination, they should create fear, they should make us feel uneasy, fear is the antithesis of boredom, fear keeps you, me and all of us alive, awake, on edge but most of all, ALIVE!