Hi John.
An interesting tale of old!
I've only noted a change in your stanza structure (very much in line with Nina) and a couple of word deletions in { }.
Enjoyed this one! Glad to see you back!
~Cleo
He sways beside me,
tattered brown fingers clawing,
slapping and shaking—
a cruciform figure in dark shadows. (Nice creepy opening)
He stops… sighs… then turns—
hooked thorns suckle strained sinews. (excellent word choices)
‘ Here accept the sword of absit omen,
you must venture on—
go slay your demons.’
A standstill.
Tall gray torsos, stout roots underneath.
Old growth,
defused light,
black nefarious impediments.
The girth of lost days.
Each sword stoke—
a hollow ring…{no echo…}no echoes.
Enough—
we must return to {the} sunlight.