Dixie and the Willow Tree

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ACT I – The Light of the Moon

Under the shimmering silver moonlight,
Beneath the old, tall weeping willow tree,
Dixie Dodd laid down to a nap at night,
Odd for vampires—but not Dixie, you see?

She would linger, hang from the tree alone,
Blood-tears dripping down her smooth, pale forehead,
Filled with emptiness, she felt like a drone
In the endless hoard of the walking dead.

The moon looked down each night, radiant bright,
And saw Dixie in the same sorry state.
So she strained to really brighten her light,
But no matter how bright, it seemed too late.

That is, until another thing occurred
And Dixie there opened her eyes and stirred.

ACT II – The Secret Discovery

What was that weird, curious creaking sound?—
Dixie hung there and wondered silently—
Then she spread her cape and swooped to the ground,
Not with her normal grace—still quietly.

She looked here and there—looking patiently—
Under ev’ry rock, around ev’ry trunk;
Wait!—not true—the thought hit her violently.
Suddenly something slammed so hard—KERKLUNK!

Finding the source now would be a slam dunk,
As she ran on back to the willow tree—
Now, she’s a vampire, she couldn’t be drunk—
There—the source of that loud sound she could see—

Within the bark of the tree, a doorway.
And brave Dixie Dodd went within to play.

ACT III – Magical Forest of Friendship

Viola! Dixie was nowwhere near—don’t spurn!—
It was day time; the sun was all around—
And her bare feet could even feel the ground.
But wait!—what’s this?—she found she did not burn,
No matter which way she went or in which turn.
And when she saw the mirror—“Eek!”—the sound
Traveled far and then shook with such resound.
Upon its hearing it’s hard to unlearn.
Curious, out came one Brenda Arledge,
A unicorn, both timid and yet, so bold;
With John Hansen, Sophia Chanu too!
I can’t name them all here—we would grow too old—
Rosina, Geraldine, friends from the ledge.
Dixie not alone—friendship was hers too.

ACT IV – Dixie’s Disappearing Design

And so it was, Dixie stayed for some time,
Thankful for friends and making new ones too.
She met Tristan’s turkey—so sublime—
Though it said thanksgiving would now be through.

And then, suddenly, it dawned on Dixie—
“Forgot…another missing me now.”
She, vampire, not pixie,
Needed to sneak home—secret like a….

So, she searched far…
Door found dark…
It opended and she…
It suddenly…

“Dixie?”
Gone.

ACT V – Dixie’s Delightful Discovery

Upon return, she found her old friend sad,
Weeping like the willow she always was.
Dixie tried to love her—console her bad—
But that poor tree kept crying just because.

“Don’t be so sad, my friend,” Dixie assured,
“I’m right here, I’ll never leave again!”
She looked up with blood-tears, her sight obscured.
She wondered, would she see her friends—and when?

The something occured to her suddenly—
Something that took her complete by surprise—
Something so cool, she could scream utterly,
But restrained to not attract any flies.

The idea—if she survived the sunlight—
Friends could here under the silver moonlight.

Poet’s Note:
Written in The Globe’s Stage composite form in response to Sparkle City Magic’s Mystical Adventure ~ Edition #26 🔮✨. I chose to use all prompts: turkey, thankful, friends, moonlight, and doorway. Whether named here or note 😅, dedicated to all my friends at Sparkle City Magic. Happy Thanksgiving!

© 2025 Tristan Robert Lange. All rights reserved.
First published on Medium.com, November 22, 2025.
 
Tittu